Occam's Razor
by inumaru13
Summary: The hypothesis with the fewest assumptions and the easiest explanation is best. Then why is that they are in such a tangled mess. Oh right, because the one assumption they both had was that neither of them should have met that night. Tony/Loki
1. Crazy Super Psycho Love

_Something lately drives me crazy  
Has to do with how you make me  
Struggle to get your attention  
Calling you brings apprehension  
Texts from you and sex from you  
Are things that are not so uncommon  
Flirt with you you're all about it  
Tell me why I feel unwanted?_

_-Simon Curtis "Super Psycho Love"_

Normality is a dull and subjective word that holds more annoyance than security for the currently "semi" drunken and stumbling Tony Stark making his way down the street of an abandoned alleyway.

'As always, it has to be me.' He seethed, gripping the remaining bottle of Jack Daniel's that he had salvaged from the bar he has "smashed" before "exiting" the ritzy black tie event for another billionaire socialite's daughter's birthday. He simply stated to the girl that she had no figure to her that he would even be interested in touching, not to mention he'd worked with her dad before and disliked him if not the same amount but more. He also figured she was attempting to sleep with him on behalf of the bastard to try and make leeway for the passage of a business strategy to sell mechanized action figures of his Iron Man suit. What had resulted was a sharp heel to his shin and two bodyguards who one, not only allowed the girl to get away with ruining his new half a million dollar designer suit; which was a gift from Pepper after she had accidentally turned his favorite Shark-Robot shirt pink in the wash, but also decided it would be a good idea to bodily grab him in front of the prissy Captain America and overly muscle-headed Thor. Both had also been kindly invited to the event as a show of thanks.

One of the bodyguards was hurled a good fifty feet in the air when Thor, none too gently, tore the guard's arm off of Tony but also gave him a hearty punt to the chest with his fist. Captain hard ass upon seeing this quickly dove to catch the falling man all the while shouting at Thor to calm down and not throw the other man through a window. Thor decided to listen a bit too late as other guard took his chance and aimed a swing at the thunder god, forgetting his other arm was still firmly gripped on Tony's upper arm resulting in Tony being the collateral damage to go flying into the liquor shelves above the bar, shattering the crystalline structure. The fight that ensued was one of, "godly" proportions. Tony inwardly chuckled to himself at the clever pun his half coherent brain was able to make. Yensen did tell him he was able to give a comprehendible lecture of robot mechanics when he was wasted so hell, puns should be easy.

'Yensen…' Tony quickly shook his heads to clear his thoughts as the cave, the blood, the gasping dying breathes of the man that turned his entire world and soul inside out began to consume his remaining consciousness, pulling him closer and closer to the darkness of his nightmares. Right then, a loud pounding beat echoed through those moldy and definitely unsanitary brick walls bouncing off of his arc reactor as his heart thrummed to the vibration of the metal. Looking ahead, a small crack was open to what looked like an abandoned apartment complex, double door left a crack open with neon lights and flashing bulbs streaming light through into the darkness of the night outside.

Gingerly slipping inside, the sight that beheld him was enough to steal his breath away. Of all the sights he expected to see and did see, a pair of tight black leather pants hugging tightly against long, pale muscular thighs leading to a creamy pale midriff of solidly formed abs and a half body long sleeved green shirt that was V cut to expose to the world a lusciously pale, elegant, creamy neck circled with a simple strip of leather was something that nearly took his breath away, causing his fingers to slip from the bottle in his hand and he winced when he heard it crash to the floor. With the music blaring, no one else heard it but that one elegant creature snapped his attention to him and gleaming emerald eyes hooked him with a stare that he felt bore a hole through his h—arc reactor, melting his brain and legs into a pile of goo.

He did not expect the erethreal creature that was swaying to the music a moment before to be the one and only Loki Laufeyson.

0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0

Of all the things he could have been this night…the god of Mischief, Fire, and Destruction found that he was in fact, lonely and of all the things to add on top of that…he was bored. The last fight had resulted in him crawling back to his apartment, armor haphazardly strewn everywhere, lowering himself gingerly into a nice hot tub of bubble bath water and trying not to think about the fact that every part of him ached and will be aching for the next week. That damn Hulk seemed to have taken a liking to using him as his own personal pissed off, regenerating Bo-Bo doll. The bruises on his chest and legs were enough testaments to that not to mention his head had a fracture the size of what felt like the California Fault line and a concussion to match.

Staring out into the night sky above the city that still had yet to be crushed by his many attempted, he found himself longing to be amongst the lowly creatures that he so despised so that he may enjoy a quite night after his injuries, due to his magic healed much faster than a usual person, have become bearable.

"Yo man, there's a rave going on at the old Layson's Apartment complex tonight." came a shout from downstairs. Loki's ears perked up. From what he had acquired about human culture, a rave was a secret underground party full of drugs, alcohol, and hopeless adolescent human creatures who behave like dogs in heat, grinding against one another or making out and fucking in the bathrooms. Sighing, Loki turned from the window and ran long, slender fingers through his soft locks of black hair. What did he have to lose? Tracking the humans in the darkness, he found the pounding music slightly irritating to the pounding inside his skull and ringing in his ears, but it was bearable as the crowd pumped and wound to the hard beats and fast pace of the music.

"Obviously body armor is a bit auspicious for this occasion." Green eyes rolled as Loki snorted and observed the attire of those present. Quickly choosing his outfit, he took a quick glance around before deciding that he should accessorize something of his old outfit. The leather clasps came undone quite a bit easier than he had been expected and he quickly molded it to fit as a small ring around his neck. Satisfied, he walked in, ignoring the stares of the bulging, drug addled eyes of the girls, and the catcalls that came from the equally stoned and drunken men. The base of the music kicked into a hard pounding rhythm that reminded him somewhat of the drums from Asgard. Slipping his eyes to closed, he ran both his hands into his hair, and began to feel the rhythm take over his body, moving his hips in a slow, steady sway and chest in a consistent pound. He knew he was the center of the dance floor as his graceful limbs wound to the floor and back up, never missing a beat, hair becoming slicked with sweat as his feet moved back and forth, body grinding into the air, head thrown back as his arms cascaded down this body only to throw themselves back up as he ground his body back, dipping down, making sure to lick his lips as he came up. Two groups in the back were placing bids on who could take him home. Both will be guaranteed a loss. A girl was bold enough to bump chests with him for a while before he clearly outmatched her, silicone breasts and all when it came to being able to seduce even the rhythm itself. Everything was going the way he had planned as his boredom began to fade and the loneliness factor that had gnawed at him since leaving Asgard crawled back into the darkest recesses of his mind where he hoped it would remain. This was until the one person that the universe should have guaranteed and by the gods, he was a god, he should have guaranteed, would never show up to such a dirty, seedy establishment as this one, stood in the doorway, gaping at him like a fish out of water.

He had felt a new presence enter the doorway but chose to ignore it as just another raver who was arriving a little late to the party and was clearly, drunk beyond the normal level of drunk. It wasn't until he heard the painful shattering of glass against the smooth rhythm of the music that he snapped his eyes open and directed his attention to the newcomer standing at the door. His eyes widened a fraction when they came to settle on the one and only Tony Stark, arc reactor glowing faintly beneath a wine stained suit, and brown eyes widening by the second and wait a minute is that drool?

Others had picked up on the new comer as well and green eyes snapped to the back were he noticed the two groups whom had been originally bidding on who was to be his assailant, were approaching Tony Stark with hungry, feral eyes. Alarm bells went off in Loki's head and suddenly his body moved of its own accord, still swaying seductively to the music, he did the only thing comprehensible to do in a situation of this sort. Long lean fingers wrapped themselves gingerly in an iron tight grip around the billionaire's tie and pulled so that their bodies and his still grinding hips melded, leaving a wicked grin on his face at the small resulting gasp from the lips of the Man of Iron as Thor addresses him.

"Loki-," He watched with cold calculating eyes as the billionaire stuttered his name, holding back a moan when a particular beat sent his hips gyrating directly into Stark's crotch at an angle he knew was more than enticing.

"You can either come to the floor and keep me company Stark, or I can let two groups of ravenous stoned men have their way with you." Loki smirked when he saw a shudder run through the drunk man's body but the small nod was all he needed as he pulled the smaller man to the center of the floor, spinning him to be behind him as he rocked his hips into the man's pelvis before dipping low and winding his chest up, throwing his head back and giving Tony Stark a more than uncomfortable view of the God's flawless flesh.

The beats ground out fast, brutal and harsh and Loki kept his body and movements in check. To his dismay, he did have to say Stark was holding his own and keeping up quite decently. Twirling around to grind chests with the billionaire, he felt himself gasp as the cold of the reactor reached his sweat coated flesh through his thin shirt when a strong arm wrapped itself around his waist and pulled him flush against the mortal's well-toned…wait he did not just say that. CRAP LOKI THINK! But all thoughts of argument bled out of his mind when Stark drew one leg between his two and pressed it firmly between his before grinding his entire body into Loki's, pressing him against the wall that neither had noticed had approached them. Green and brown eyes locked as the pressure wrenched a wanton moan from the God of Mischief and he knew that boredom was not to be a worry till at least the morning after.

0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0

Tony woke with a pounding headache, dry mouth, a very present urge to vomit and a world that seemed to be on a top that went upside down. Conclusion, a very bad hangover. Solution: a nice roast of the darkest coffee he could find and a good book on quantum physics he can throw at Dummy if the robot adds the Almond Milk chocolate creamer that usually belongs in Pepper's coffee into his. Rolling to his side, he realized his bed was a few degrees colder than it should have been, or usually would have been even when that side was empty. Forcing his achy eyes open, he croaked out an order.

"JARVIS," he winced as his own voice grated against his eardrums, "did my bed heater or room temperature control break."

"Good morning sir. Your temperature is perfectly normal and all programs are up and functional. The chill may be due to your visitor as my analysis suggests his body temperature is that of below average levels."

"Oh…okay." Brown eyes snapped open and his body shot up and out, much to the discomfort of the rest of his current state as he had to shut his eyes tight and bite back bile over and over so not the piss Pepper off again by soiling is sheets with vomit. After the world had once again placed itself in the place of a 42-degree tilt to his poor mind, he slowly looked over to his side.

_Throaty moans, pale hands, the rough trusts into the warmth of the lithe arching body beneath his. Cold lips biting, kissing, sucking his neck, a silver tongue working him to the point where if he was asked what one and one was, he would have said fuck, over and over and over until the sheets may have been torn infinitely._

Tony Stark's eyes looked over in horror as the images forced a blush up his neck and onto his face and a tighter grip on the sheet as he focused on the view of the lanky, well built god's pale skin as he lay with his hair mused and face half buried in one of his white pillows, sheet covering only his ass, leaving the rippling muscles of his back exposed with every breath the guest took. Bleary green eyes blinked open and locked with his. Tony Stark just slept with Loki. Surprisingly, his first worry was not if he was to be castrated when the god regained his full functioning ability but rather, a vivid image of being beaten into a blood heap of jam by said god's older brother's hammer. So he did the only thing he knew how to do.

"Good morning sunshine." He said, plastering his usually egotistical smirk onto his face, wincing as his own voice set off another one of his headaches. He bit back a smirk when he realized the god must have been as out of it as he was, maybe a little high because all Loki did was grunt and roll his body onto his side, curling into himself with his back away from the inventor, sigh, and seem to fall asleep again. Tony almost thought he had gotten away with it until that same god shot off the bed with a snarl and suddenly he was dangling by this throat while a pair of unglazed and burning green eyes bore into his.

"You think me a fool Stark? What is this?" Loki snarled and Tony moaned in agony as his hangover flared.

"So much for sunshine." That earned him another snarl and he decided to protect what little was left of his grip on the world without a disaster and say again, "could you let us at least put some clothes on?"

At this, Loki paused, green eyes tilting as he cocked his head to the side in a brief moment of confusion before looking down and seeing just what his predicament was. He could feel the hot burn of a blush blazing up his cheeks and Tony Stark knew for the remainder of his life that he would never forget the day that he saw Loki blushing like a virgin school girl.

In a flash, he felt the tight constraints of his boxers, pants and belt back on his legs, irritating his legs hairs to the point of nearly making him giggle, and Loki in the same black leather pants of last night. Tony made sure to keep in mind that the god had not in fact been wearing underwear last night and therefore was not wearing any underwear as of right now.

"Can you teach me that because that would make some of my company leave faster and also give me more time to enjoy them before I kick them out each morning."

Loki dropped his hand from Tony's throat, dumping him in an ungraceful heap on the tangles sheets of last night and rolled his shoulders back, popping his neck from side to side. When green eyes opened again, they found brown staring down the milky expanse of his chest and wait a minute—is that drool…AGAIN?

"May I inquire as to just what it is that you are currently gawping like a dying fish at?" Loki snapped, turning his blazing eyes to full force and pinning the smaller man with a death glare. Said man simply blinked before nearly knocking Loki over with a desperate jolt as he lurched his body out of the bed and tumbled into an adjoining room. Behind the slamming of the door, Loki raised an eyebrow at the retching noises. When everything went quite, the god of chaos picked his way across the too white bedroom and gingerly tapped the door open.

"Well this is quite the disgraceful state that I have only caught one other in on the night of a coming of age party." Loki huffed at the figure hunched over the toilet; dry heaving to the point where Loki was tempted to yank the man's head back to keep him from drowning himself in the toilet bowl. The human was still baring his torso and Loki couldn't help by rake his eyes over the rippling back muscles, well defined but more bulky then his tightly wound lean ones. He found himself instinctively placing a hand gently on that back and rubbing in smooth circles. That earned him an appreciative groan and he felt himself losing a tiny grin.

"So much for sunshine." He felt himself taunt the other and through the muscles, he felt the ripple of a small chuckle."

"May I inquire as to just what it is that you are currently gawping like a dying fish at?" Tony sniped before another dry heave sent him tumbling back into the toilet bowl. Next time, he was going to have a cheeseburger before a party rather than that tuna con whatever it was that Pepper said was good for him. It sure as hell didn't taste very good coming up in the morning.

Both men sat there in silence until finally, Tony felt the world fully right itself and Jarvis handed down a towel, causing him to choke down a snort when Loki darted back quickly as a mechanical arm descended with a towel and shot the thing a glare that should have had laser beams coming out of his eyes.

"So…," Tony began slowly. "Do I know have the right to brag?"

"About what you baboon minded buffoon?" Loki snapped. That more of less slapped Tony a little in the face because he knew and has calculated before that his IQ was much higher than that of a primordial ape's.

"That I'm so delectable that not even the gods can resist me?"

Loki's dead panned face was more than enough of an answer for him.

"Do not speak of such a matter ever again."

"Really because the way you were moaning my name last night makes me think you like to talk even with your mouthful." Tony had to let loose a howl of laughter as the red returned to Loki's face in the form of a blush as well as the vein pulsing with rage.

The God of Mischief drew himself to his full height and bent over the other man, eyes glowing with malice and menace.

"This never happened. You are an insignificant spark to this world. Why else is it that the only attention you can ever harness are from those that you have _built_?"

Tony gulped and felt the sting of that blow, albeit low for the both of them, at full force. Loki turned without a word, shirt appearing in hand and vanished in a cloud of smoke leaving Tony feeling as if the room had gotten a few degrees too warm for his comfort while the floor and tub were a few degrees too cold.

When Steve rang, he waved Jarvis to let the call through, washed up to make himself look as the usual him and showed up to the meeting a fashionable hour late.

0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0

Loki dropped the entire outfit into his own person jar of magic weld flames and dunked himself in a tub of ice water, scrubbing his skin till it bled and wishing he could do the same to his brain. The image of the arc reactor glowing and lighting up one of his mortal enemy's face sent hot tingles down his spine and nearly drew a moan from his lips.


	2. The Silence is Killing me

_Your salty skin and how it mixes in with mine_

_The way it feels to be completely intertwined  
Not that I didn't care, it's that I didn't know  
It's not what I didn't feel, it's what I didn't show_

_So let me be, and I'll set you free_

_I am in misery_  
_And there ain't nobody who can comfort me, oh yeah_  
_Why won't you answer me?_  
_The silence is slowly killing me, oh yeah_

-_Maroon 5 "Misery"_

It had been two weeks since that incident and after a rather long rant from what's her face father, a mess of paperwork he had left Pepper to deal with for damage control, a hash out between his and we'll just go with she thing's father, both decided not to sue. They instead signed a restraining order on both Tony and Steve with Thor as a collateral clause. All in all, it left Tony in a very sour mood as he stripped off this tie and dress shirt, kicking his shoes clear across the room before shouting at JARVIS that if anyone calls, tell them he's not to be disturbed or they will have his "flight stabilizer" up their asses. When the AI responded with a simple "of course sir" Tony let out a long sigh and descended into his lab, fully prepared to drown out everything with a good glass of scotch and a lot of schematics.

He could already hear Dummy whirring along doing whatever the hell it was doing and a potent crash alerted him that his stress was now in a different area of his life.

"DUMMY! I SWEAR I WILL DONATE YOU! AND FORGET MIT! YOU'LL GO TO A COMMUNITY COLLEGE!" he slammed his glass of scotch down and rubbed his temples before turning to his screen only to fly back when a pair of green eyes glinting with mischief met his.

"Holy mother of…" Tony wheezed, hand grasping the arc reactor as he stared at the god of chaos who remained nonchalantly leaning against one of his worktables, keen eyes wandering and appraising the room. Tony took the time to look the god up and down. He wasn't in leather pants anymore but neither was he in his full body armor. A dark pair of navy jeans followed up by a skintight turtle neck half sleeve shirt with a simple green band running across the chest. The small leather band still encircles his neck. He looked damn good. Stark shook his head. Focus Tony, focus. This is still Loki the God of Chaos, mischief and destruction.

"How did you get in here?" That earned him a simple raise of the eyebrow before the one and only Loki Laufeyson went back to inspecting his lab. Tony began to feel more or less invaded. The only people allowed in his lab were Banner and Pepper. One was usually more welcomed than the other because one didn't scold or lecture him.

"I haven't seen your royal hind-ass in two weeks and the one day that I would rather have you leveling New York just so I can punch the living daylights out of something, you show up in my lab. How did you get in here?" Tony surprised himself with the force of his voice in that statement but kept his cool and even patted himself on the back a little when slightly widened eyes turned to meet his once more.

"I'm was…mentally and physically unoccupied and found that state to be very unpleasant for it was not in the least bit entertaining or amusing." Loki deadpanned.

Tony blinked a few times, taking in that rapidly thrown out statement and deadpanned back with, "So you were…bored."

The eyebrow raised again and the lanky figure turned his attention back to inspecting the room, his eyes landing on Dummy as it was placing the cups in a perfect stack before knocking over a stack of plates right next to it. The crashing sound caused Tony to flinch and he shouted again, this time more to get a kick out of watching the robot cower rather than actual anger.

"DUMMY! DON'T MAKE ME CHANGE IT TO AN ENGINEERING _LAB_!" The robot bowed and scurried out of sight as if someone had put rocket fuel in its engine and lit it. Turning back around, the inventor was taken aback at a soft grin on the god's finely chiseled features and a look that suggested nostalgia in those swirling green pools of life. Loki caught him staring and quickly snapped back to his usual cold and malicious exterior.

"This room feels a bit more personable than the last one I entered."

"That was my bedroom." Tony smirked when he saw the beginnings of a blush creep its way onto the God of Chaos's neck. 'So I see he definitely remembers more than I do.'

"This," he continued, "on the other hand, is my lab so in a sense this is me though of course the best part here is the actual me standing in the lab with all of my own glory and well me." He wanted to slap himself but chose instead to pull up a chair and tap a few buttons on the workbench next to him to get the holographic screens to surround him. With a flash of his fingers, the screens expanded and he placed each in their own corner before swiveling back around to meet a slightly stunned Loki.

"Aside from being a playboy and a billionaire, I believe I also did use genius as an adjective." Tony turned away with a huff and went back to examining the screens, making a minor tweak here, and a major recalculation there. How on earth he had expected his thrusters to function at full capacity when JARVIS decides to up the train him under three times the gravity if he can't get the propulsion to match the increase in work needed to generate the same upward velocity. Also, it gave him one hell of a distraction from the being hovering just feet away from him when he already knows that same being had been at one point, completely stripped, moaning, and pliant at his very fingertips.

Loki had said he was bored in his usual Thor inherited Shakespearean manner so why was he here. Why was he not off robbing a bank, sticking cats in trees, putting fake eyeballs in soups, or stealing lollipops from kids with cavities in daycares? Why of all places was he here?

"I teleported." came a smooth voice out of nowhere, snapping the well known genius out of his concentration, throwing him off guard as he turned to once again, find the god inches away from him. If he his heart wasn't partially an arc reactor, he was sure he would have been in an ambulance and carted off for a heart attack.

"What?" was all he mustered, gulping at the proximity and the fact that his traitor mind was thinking of other things he could be doing in his swivel chair, on the worktable, on the workbench, in the unfinished car. Damn it.

"I teleported." Loki stated once more clearing taking pleasure in the discomfort he was causing the human being. "You know what you would usually reference as the "whole magic thingy that you do."" That statement ended in an eye roll.

"How?" Tony croaked, realizing that he found common tongue on Loki's silver tongue to be something he liked very much.

"Picture where you want to go, clearly." Loki leaned forward, whispering into the inventor's ear, smirking to himself as he felt the shudder run down the other's spine. "Focus on every detail that you can remember." Tony gasped as he felt a lurching sensation and his whole world was swirling, turning, twisting as if down some never ending vortex. Just as soon as it started, he jerked to a stop, collapsing onto dark tile, eyes tightly shut as he tried to get the world from hurtling away from him as it twisted and turned. He felt long arms wrap themselves around his torso and gingerly lift him upwards, a hazy voice in the background calling out his name.

"Anthony, Anthony Stark," Loki gently handled his mortal into a sitting position. He knew it was too sudden and much too violent for the human to stand but he was still foolish enough to try, why even he didn't know. The human stirred, turning his head to his right then immediately scrambling away. Loki had seen this before and it was confirmed when a door slammed open and retching noises could be heard once again down the hall. What amused the god was the fact that the man found the bathroom.

'I guess he always had it designed so that he could find it seeing as how he needs it so often.' Loki snorted wincing when a particularly hard wretch reached his ears and echoed through the dark living space. When the inventor quieted down to silent pants, Loki approached slowly, looking down at the mortal who was still hugging the toilet bowl like a teddy bear.

"Never…do…_that_…again." Tony gasped, closing his eyes as the world was still sluggishly twirling and his brain was ringing, feeling like it decided to take up wrestling inside his skull.

"I don't seem to have any adverse thoughts when it comes to such a method of travel. It's by far less time consuming and as you humans have termed it…more…"green." Loki rolled the last term of his favorite color with a small smirk when he heard a response snort from the prone man lying against the porcelain seat blink up at him through half lidded, and still slightly pain clouded eyes.

"Gods." Tony rolled his eyes.

"That's what I am, don't wear it out." That earned a wide pair of eyes and a jaw drop from the genius leaving Loki with a small smirk of complete satisfaction. Offering his hand to the wary eyes human, he pulled the small man up to his feet, giving the creature a moment to adjust and how did he say it, right, "Imma be sick again."

"If you are to regurgitate your day's intake of substance, I suggest you at least aim for the device that is build to hand such a vile brew."

"I'm alright." Huffed Tony. "Just give me a bit."

"I have all the time in the world Anthony. You're life to me is no more than a month of my lifespan at most."

"I didn't mean that and again, rub it in, and would you STOP calling me that name." Tony hissed, wrenching himself free of the god's grip and pinning the lanky individual with a glower. "Where the hell are we anyways?"

"That's what I thought you could tell me Anthony Stark." Loki snarled back, stepping forward when he saw the glower flicker just a slight bit. "I took us to wherever it was that your mind decided to focus on."

"Wha?"

"English to you, you got us here, you get us out." Loki rolled his eyes and crossed his arms. "The least you could do to welcome a guest," ignoring a half sarcastic, half amused huff from Tony, Loki continued, "would be to at least turn on the lights."

"JARVIS lights." Tony barked.

"Of course sir, though you will have to inform me later if I am to relocate your coordinates within thirty seconds of you arriving at another location." the AI quipped. The lights flickered on to reveal a sparsely decorated room, mahogany wall panels, a signature set of window walls that outlook the city in a panoramic view, and of course, a full equipped bar smack in the middle of it all. Tony blinked, taking a moment to process before realizing he was in the middle of his and 12% of it Pepper's crown jewel.

"The Stark Tower." Both he and Loki stated at the same time.

"Why I wonder, of all the places you could have pictured so vividly in your mind, did you chose this one?" Loki pinned a contemplative gaze on the mortal, staring at the arc reactor glow for a moment before locking eyes with the still somewhat shell shocked human.

"Because I—," Tony began.

"Sir, Mr. Rogers is on the phone. He says it's urgent." The disembodied voice of the AI cut in through the empty lobby causing Loki to jump and Tony to swear.

"I said no calls JARVIS. I don't care if he lost his stash of porno again or whether he's turning into a woman at the moment."

"Sir, he says the alarm system at your Malibu house was set off by an energy signature belonging to Loki and he needs confirmation that you sir are alright or Fury was about to deploy everyone over."

Growling again, Tony waved a hand, a gesture Loki put to his memory as one of an indirect indication of resignation.

"Tony! Are you alright?" The clear voice of the Captain boomed across the screens. Loki had taken refuge in one of the plusher lounge seats, watching the hologram in amusement before whipping himself up a small glass of whiskey, icing the glass himself.

Tony's eyes widened when he saw that one, his best glasses had appeared out of no where in the God's hands, and two, he didn't own any whiskey rocks because he didn't particularly like whiskey, and three…did that guy's hand just turn blue?

"TONY!" His attention snapped back to the screen, nearly snapping his neck in the process. Ignoring a small huff of amusement from the currently incognito god, he glowered back at prissy Captain goody pants.

"I'm fine and as you can see, I'm not even in my Malibu house." This earned him a very large eyed blinked from Steve as he looked around.

"Hey," Steve said, his eyes pinned on someone right behind the inventor. WAIT SHIT! LOKI!

"I can explain." Tony stuttered, turning around to nearly choke his own tongue down his throat.

A long, creamy legged brunette sat in the same chair, holding the same glass of whiskey. High cheekbones, flawless, pale skin, and a pair of glinting green eyes were framed perfectly by the long tangled waves of flowing black hair. Tony raked his eyes up and down his new guest who was only wearing a short, half thigh cut off mini black cocktail dress with a plunging neckline, revealing very well endowed assets.

"I'm sorry to have interrupted your conversation with Mr. Stark." The smooth, rich voice left Tony boneless and with a very difficult problem starting to arise in his pants. He knew prissy two shoes had one too. Funny thing is, what would happen if he told the good captain he might as well be gay because that was Loki.

"It's no problem ma'am. I'm sorry to have called in and intruded." Rogers stuttered, giving the lady a customary salute while sheepishly rubbing the back of his neck.

"May I as what the trouble is then? I heard that alarm bells had been set off in Mr. Stark's other choice of residence. Is it something that he and I need to be concerned about?" "Loki" was smirking so hard on the inside as she batted her eyelashes, taking a sip of her drink and being sure to lick her lips.

"It's nothing, must have been because obviously you two are here and well not there and um, I'll let you go Tony." Tony hummed in agreement, never taking his eyes of his new company as the screen clicked off and silence entered the room save from the clinking of ice and whiskey stones in Loki's drink.

"I take it this form is acceptable then Anthony." The god drawling, taking another sip of the drink, rolling his tongue around the ice before licking his lips once more, eyes still holding the inventor's stare, green eyes glinting with mirth and satisfaction. When the human didn't answer, the god continued.

"I'm sure Mr. Rogers will have enjoyed the view and of course, your reputation proceeds you." Standing up and pulling his new female form to her full height, which even minus the heels, he'd always hated those types of shoes and couldn't understand why mortal females bore with the agony to look not better at all, he still more or less, towered a bit over the human.

"Yeah well, wait and see if he ever finds out I scored a god." Tony breathed, sucking in sharply when well-manicured hands ran themselves down his side, side stepping the reactor and finding purchase on his pocket.

"Want to tell him right now?"

"And risk being filleted by your brother. I think I'd like to keep myself functioning and alive." He could feel that he was nearly hyperventilating as those tantalizing lips drew themselves ever closer to his face, a small smell of alcohol lingering on her breath and those boobs, damn those things are REAL?

Loki smirked as he pressed his body against the inventor's, grinding his hips into the human's like the rave, eliciting a small squeak followed by a moan.

"Ch-ch," Tony stuttered, eyes rolling back when he felt the grind, followed by skilled fingers running through his hair, pulling hard as lips collided with his, both of them swallowing each others moans in a steady rhythm of a struggle for dominance beginning. Tony took charge, slamming the woman into the counter of bar, sliding his leg to press in between hers, swallowing another throaty moan before latching onto the porcelain neck. Loki threw her head back. She was losing her mind.

"Change." growled Stark against her throat. That snapped Loki out of his lust filled haze enough to lock confused eyes with the inventor as brown came to meet hers again.

"What?" came a breathy moan when she felt that leg press more firmly against her.

"Change back." Green met brown and comprehension shook Loki to the core and he allowed his form to flutter, his full height returning, breasts retreating to be replaced with a muscular chest and he threw his head back once more when he felt that leg press there and give it a firm, hard rub. Every other question died on the tips of both men's tongues as lips smashed together and a furious race of torn clothing ensued. A half coherent stumble to the bedroom followed by a rather hard slam of the door and a wicked laugh from Tony with a throaty chuckle from the god echoed through the privacy of the self-sufficient Stark Tower.

0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0

"Shit." Tony panted after finally being able to breath again let alone speak. Loki was in a similar state, bite marks running down his neck, nail rakes down his ribs and a stinging but fulfilling sensation to his backside. He looked over to the mortal analyzing his own handy work. Bruises on the hips, claw marks down the man's back, a bruised cheek, swollen lips, and complete and utter exhaustion in the glaze of those brown eyes.

"Your performance sober as compared to when you're drunk off your mind is interesting Anthony."

"Don't call me that and dish it you ass." Tony huffed, rolling onto his side, placing an arm underneath his head, holding the god's glowing gaze.

"For one, _Anthony_. You're much more submissive while drunk." Loki stated, mentally chuckling at the eye roll before continuing. "This time was much more of a tangle rather than just a fleeting tryst."

"Well, I do aim to please the gods." Tony snorted staring down at the milky expanse of chest still visible with the sparse sheet covering their nudity leaving every other part of them open and exposed. Hesitantly, Tony reached out, placing a hand onto the marble chest, feeling the muscles tense as the god flinched, green eyes becoming wary. Taking the chance and his newfound bravery, he ran his legs down the long limbs of the other, slowly rising to be on top, lips locking in a smooth, gentle kiss, fingers feeling each pulse of the thrumming heartbeat underneath his chest. Breaking apart, brown met the hazed over green before suddenly, he found himself flying half way across the room, catching himself on the back of a couch and the feeling of pants being back on his legs.

"YOU NEED TO STOP DOING THAT!" Tony snarled, yanking at his belt when the god had designated to clasp around his waist a bit too tightly for comfort. Loki didn't say a word but in a whirl, his full body armor was on and the staff appeared in his hand. Turning away, the god vanished in another cloud of smoke leaving Tony owl eyed, stunned, and speechless.

"God damn it." Tony hissed, punching the back of his couch and walking in a full-speed ahead charge for his bar. He was going to need a lot to calm his head.

"JARVIS! Call Pepper and tell her to get _the_ pizza and three gallons of ice cream."

"I will inform her to place the order and get you a pint sir."

He stormed over to his work bench, nearly smashing the glass as he slammed it onto the table and pulled up every old schematic he could, even Dummy's old ones. He just needed to forget. He just needed a distraction. Huffing, he didn't even hear Pepper enter the room, a small gasp of surprise when she realized he was here and placed the pizza behind him, and the ice cream in the freezer. She knew he wouldn't touch either one tonight.

0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0

Loki snarled as he tossed another one of his outfits in the fiery inferno. The man had the audacity to ask him to change back. The playboy asked him to change back. Why is it then that the thought did not infuriate him but twist a knife he didn't know was there inside his heart? The way he had kissed him. It wasn't just sex, it wasn't just give and take. It had been a kiss. He placed two fingers on his still tingling lips. It had been a kiss. Loki snarled and threw his helmet into the mirror, shattering it as he watch his reflection tumble down in every little piece. He needed a distraction. He needed to reassure everyone that nothing would stop him.

The next week, he was once again decked out in full, watching with impassive eyes as his army leveled New York City. The red and gold suit that blasted by him made him flinch as his brother's booming voice echoed over the crowd. The thoughts of that muscular body, those long languid moans, those strong hands gripping his making his body into an electric wire buried themselves deep inside his mind. He did not need them right now. Blasting a blue beam from his staff, he entered the fray.


	3. Only When I Stop to Think About it

_Every time we lie awake_

_After every hit we take  
Every feeling that I get  
But I haven't missed you yet_

_Every roommate kept awake_  
_By every sigh and scream we make_  
_All the feelings that I get_  
_But I still don't miss you yet_

_Only when I stop to think about it_

_I hate everything about you_  
_Why do I love you_  
_You hate everything about me_  
_Why do you love me_

_-Three Days Grace "I Hate Everything About You"_

His entire body ached. People screaming and running through the streets in panic, explosions everywhere, gunfire, arrow fire, shield throwing, hammer crushing, Hulk smashing and then there was him. Only, except for his usual ability to send his opponent flying and then exploding into bits, this one had caught him off guard, gripping onto his back plate before hurling him through the closest building. Crawling out of the rubble, he was greeted with a solid fist to the chest plate, sending him flying back into the mess with a hissing creature securely latched to his front, tearing at his face mask.

"JARVIS FLARES!" he shouted. The rapid fire of small exploding lights caused the being to rear, detaching itself from his armor and giving Tony just enough time to send it a thorough blast before Romanov shot it in the head.

"Stark, keep out of the way." She snapped, rolling to the side and sending off another series bullets, each one earning her a lurch and a shriek.

Tony huffed, pushing his damaged armor back up into the air at full force, only to be blasted by a blue jet of light, sending him sprawling onto the roof next building, the screeching of metal on concrete giving him a headache on top of a soon to be concussion. When he stopped, the person looming over him was none other than Loki Laufeyson.

"We must stop meeting like this darling." Tony ground out, trying to pick himself up, only to realize the blast had knocked out his power system and JARVIS was completely offline. Meanwhile, the fuming god of destruction still straddled him with blazing eyes and staff ready on full blast.

"What's the matter _Anthony_, can't move a limb without you stupid program helping you." Loki snarled, giving him a good solid punch to the bowels of the armor leaving a significant sized dent and wrenching a pained wheeze from the mortal inside.

"Can't defend yourself without your stupid targeting system?" Loki snarled again, gripping both of the limp, armored arms and crushing them in his grip, wrangling a pained yelp from inside. "Can't get up, can't fight, maybe you can't even breathe." With that, the gods hands latched themselves to the damaged chest plate and tore upward, shredding the metal clear off its hinges and tossing it into the air as if it were a piece of paper mache.

Tony was beginning to hyperventilate. His arms were probably broken or at least fractured and now trapped inside the heavy, crunched up armor. He could feel the trails of blood beginning to run down his skin and seep into the undershirt he wore beneath the armor. His chest plate just got torn off like the easy peel off skin of one of those Cuties clementines made for three year olds, leaving all his vital organs and his arc reactor exposed. Suddenly his helmet felt too tight and too small. Images of the cave, of being held underwater, of not being able to breathe came stampeding into his mind and he knew what was coming. Tony Stark, Iron Man, was panicking.

"Come now Stark." Loki hissed. "Where's that charm and personality? Weren't you supposed to be the mortal that no _GOD_ can resist?" That was punctured by a sharp fist to exposed ribs earning a hard, choked gasp from the prone human below him. But now, that human wasn't there anymore. Tony was back in that god-forsaken cave.

0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0

_"Stark."_ _His captor's voice cooed to him, a hidden snarl and a promise of pain followed in the twisted smile he received. "Where's that wit of yours? Weren't you supposed to be the one that that had the bigger stick?"_

_ Tony, muffled by the gag while sporting a very decorative black eye and a wet upper body from the pleasant bathing he had endured earlier, simply glared back. _

_ "And yet you resist me. Why? Seeing you precious work do that," the captor pointed at the cruel electromagnet sitting in his chest, "to its own creator should be enough to humble anyone."_

_ "So tell me, Merchant of Death. Who is your god now?" his captor tore the gag cruelly from Tony's mouth, not caring as a small trail of blood made it way down the inventor's chin from where the rough leather straps had cut into him._

_ Tony coughed for a moment before smirking, "Never had one, and never believed it worth the time to go get one."_

_ A hard slap sent him tumbling to the ground, earning a small yelp of pain when his chest piece was pulled on through over extended wires. His captor knelt down, yanking his hair up in a painful fistful before hauling him bodily to his knees. _

_ "This will be a lesson for you to remember where your god is." _

_ Tony's eyes widened when he felt the hand twist around his new "heart"…no, anything but that. A smirk was his only warning before a hard pull and a crackling pop let him know that the one thing keeping him alive was now in the fist of his enemy. Ironically, the man held his life in his hands._

_ "Now kiss my boots." _

_ Tony gasped for air as he felt his blood pump and for once, it was not a wonderful flow of life. It was a flood of death as he felt the shrapnel tearing through his vessels to get to all his main organs._

_ "Kiss…my…boots." the smirking, leering face teetered at an angle as he felt himself keel over clawing for air, clinging for life. _

_ Pepper, Rhodey, Yensen, Obidiah, everyone waiting for him at home and for hell's sake even Dummy and JARVIS flooded through his mind. He was going to lose it all. He was no god. He was no hero. At best he wasn't even human to some degree now with the machine running his life. What had he done other than to prove that he is nothing more than a small child placing his tiny hands in his father's shoes only to realize; he would sooner drown in them than ever have a chance of filling them? _

_ He felt the hand come closer with his "heart," his "life," so close that it was sitting on the edge of the socket._

_ "Do it."_

_ Arms heavy, legs numb, and head blank, he placed his lips on the dirt covered, blood stained boots and kissed it._

0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0

Loki knew something was wrong the instant he felt the human go limp in his grasp. Moving quickly, he tore the faceplate off the helmet only to be met with glazed, catatonic eyes.

"Stark?" No response. "Anthony?" Still, those same, hazed over eyes stared straight ahead at nothing with no movement from any limbs.

Loki was becoming desperate, tearing off the rest of the armor, staring wide-eyed at the damage he had done. The human's arms where he had crushed the armor were twisted at odd angles and continued to bleed sluggishly. The area of the chest plate where he had initially punched him was forming a very hearty bruise the size of a large dinner plate. On top of it, the punch Loki had angrily dealt to his ribs resulted in two broken and a large internal hemorrhage.

"STARK! MAN OF IRON!" he bellowed, shaking the man, screaming his name at the top of his lungs while his own mind screamed back at him.

_'You had to do it. You had to send everything that comes close straight to the depths of despair. You destroy everything you touch and now you've gone and broken him. He is only human. And humans die by the dozen. You've killed so many more than that.'_

"ANTHONY!" Loki knew he was on the verge of tears and just that thought hit him like a ton of bricks. This man had been different. This man had meant something more than just a distraction. This man had told him that he wanted him as him. This man had kissed him. And now he'd repaid the favor by destroying his armor, and putting him in this state as his city comes crashing down around him. Loki didn't even notice when a hard fist slammed into his side, throwing him off the fallen man and well across the roof before skidding to a halt on the edge.

The Hulk was roaring with fury but one look down at Tony, the gigantic, green buffoon, gingerly nudged him with one meaty finger before sitting down and lifting the broken man into his large palm.

_'Even a raging beast knows how to handle him better than you. You're a pathetic excuse for a god.' _Loki's mind mocked as his green eyes watched the scene in front of him.

He was still numb when his brother picked him up by his armor and shook him violently, screaming, "WHAT HAS BEFALLEN UPON MAN OF IRON? WHAT HAVE YOU DONE BROTHER?"

Captain America knelt down by the Hulk, eyes grim as he examined the physical injuries, dialing numbers furiously into that human contraption known as a phone before giving the Hulk a quick pat on the wrist. Hawkeye and the woman, landed close by, eyeing him with a wary glare before focusing on their injured comrade. Loki picked up on bits and pieces of the conversation.

"We need to get him to the infirmary ASAP."

"I've never seem him like this before."

"Hey Tony can you hear me?"

"Let's get him out of here."

"Urf." The Hulk agreed, gingerly taking his dissension down the side of the building, Iron Man in hand.

"Call off your army Loki." Thor growled, holding the god of mischief by the throat. Loki simply gave a weak wave of his hand before surrendering to his brother's grip, earning a surprised look from the Thunder God.

"What is it that you have done brother?"

And for the first time in many, many eons, Loki opened his mouth, only to have it snap shut with no words to reply to such a question.

0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0

Tony woke in a haze of pain and activity. All around him were white lights, murmuring people, the feeling of soft and warmth touching his skin. Then there were hands on his arc reactor. He freaked, trying to bolt upright only to holler with pain at the lightning that shot through his ribs. When he tried to ball up and clutch them, he found his arms were in casts and bound to the table. Gasping for air in panicked breathes, brown eyes darted up to the ceiling and he screamed. Screamed for all the times in the cave he couldn't, screamed as the pain from his surgery came back through is mind, screamed at how helpless he was, how pliable he was, how easily he could be smashed only to be cruelly pieced back together one small shard at a time. He heard voices trying to calm him. Words about his arms were broken, his ribs were smashed grazed through his ears but still he screamed. He screamed to the point in which he knew he was sobbing and begging. He screamed till his throat felt like it was going to vomit itself up and run away to avoid the fire inside his body. Voices kept talking, trying to sooth him and he just inched away from each one, moaning, praying they would leave him alone.

_Blood, death, his death, his pain, the humiliation, Pepper, Rhodey, Yensen, just keep repeating the mantra; just keep repeating it. You have a purpose now keep it. So much pain, so much to endure. Bite you tongue. Hold you emotions in. Don't let them break you. _

But a part of him in that cave did. That part was still slow to repair and would probably never heal. Just like the gaping hole that was now residing in his atrial cavity. Proof that Tony Stark had a heart…yeah well he didn't have one anymore.

"What ails him?" a booming voice echoed over all the other. He knew that one. The one with the hammer and suddenly, the sensations of his arm being crushed and armor flickering caused him to gasp and begin to trash a new. More screams echoed through the room and finally, there was silence. He lay there in a haze, staring up at the ceiling wondering why, why of all the times was he there. He was in the tower; he was safe. He was being treated from the wounds he had suffered. But For Tony Stark, his mind still remained in that cave.

It was some time later that he felt another presence enter the room. This one wasn't rushing out of concern or comfort. In fact the movement could be felt as more hesitant and almost a regretful.

Silence still echoed through the room as he felt the figure stop at the foot of his bed, a sharp breath intake alerting him that he must have been a wondrous sight to behold. Then he felt long, dexterous fingers ghost onto his calf. He twitched, a whimper tearing itself involuntarily from his throat. The hand paused, almost as if waiting for permission before continuing its journey up to rest on his knee, then his thigh. The figure came into full view as he moved to stand at his bedside now, calculating green eyes clouded with hints of worry and grief.

Loki. Tony's mind must have spoken out loud because at that moment, those beautiful pools of mystery stopped examining the wounds and the locked with his.

"Anthony?" a soft voice greeted his ears as those fingers moved to rest onto his upper arm.

Loki. The god of mischief and destruction. The one man who has leveled more of his buildings than he had himself with Banner combined. The one man who had leveled the same amount of walls in Tony's mind and lack of heart in just two nights.

"Damn you Loki." He whispered, feeling sleep tugging at his mind, the screams of the cave echoing in the background of his dreams.

The God mouthed something before placing his hand gently on the inventor's forehead, murmuring a few words in his own ancient language. Tony felt his body grow heavy and warm as his dreams began to float towards a rainbow bridge and a magical beach.

"There shall be no terror in your dreams as long as I remain damned Anthony." Loki smirked, watching with a sigh of relief as the man's facial features relaxed in what the god knew would be one of the most peaceful, and relaxing sleep sessions in the man's life. One day he would find out about the night terrors of this strange mortal and one day, that same strange mortal will discover his and take them with him to the grave.

"I hate you Anthony Stark." Loki whispered.

"Love you too sunshine," murmured the sleep hazed human, leaving the reality for the dream realm with the image of shocked and slightly amused green eyes accompanying him on a leisurely stroll along the never-ending white sands of an idealistic beach.


	4. And You Don't Know Why

_You're waiting for someone  
To put you together  
You're waiting for someone to push you away  
There's always another wound to discover  
There's always something more you wish he'd say _

_He's everything you want  
He's everything you need  
He's everything inside of you  
That you wish you could be  
He says all the right things  
At exactly the right time  
But he means nothing to you  
And you don't know why _

_-Vertical Horizon "Everything You Want"_

Heavy footsteps pounded up the stairwell heading to the emergency exit to the roof. The sound of the door slamming open was all Loki had to warn him before flinching and letting his eyes slide shut, waiting for the inevitable booming voice that would condemn him and possibly, throw him off the building before even speaking to him.

"What is it that you want?" Loki all but nearly whispered to himself, hands stilling on the knife that he had been about to throw at the concrete wall, where its other brothers were already nestled nicely into in a neat horizontal line. He felt the footsteps pause; hesitate, before, to his great surprise and somewhat displeasure, the large mass dropped beside him.

"Can one no longer call on his own brother for a friendly council and chatter?" Thor asked; looking over to his once close family whose own green eyes were focused on the small blade he was twirling in his lap.

"I see your skill has not diminished during your time of absence brother."

"A wormhole leaves one with quite a large amount of time to ponder and to practice." Loki stated before sharply snapping his wrist and sending the other blade precisely to the end of the line, one millimeter away from the blade previous to it.

"If the Man of Iron should ask about the holes in the concrete, shall I state I took fancy to fighting with that infernal stapler?"

Loki twirled to meet his brother's gaze, green eyes wide when they met blue orbs filled with truth, mirth, and never ending strength and pride.

"It is an infernal contraction indeed. It bared its teeth against my cape and damaged such a fine cloth with its metal grip." Thor continued, adamantly gesturing to where his cape would have been, fist clenching when he mentioned the holes. Loki was having a hard time trying not to laugh because he had a pretty accurate vision of who it was that stapled his brother's cape in the first place.

"It's not every day that I hear such a tale in which the mighty prince of Asagard is defeated by a machine so small." Loki mocked.

"It is crafty. Reminds me of one whom I believe turned my wine to snakes for a twelfth century birthday surprise." Thor laughed before giving the unsuspecting Loki a rather hard slap to the back. The God of Mischief winced, thinking that had that been anyone else, they might have been falling about 40 stories by now, or somewhere in the air singing Over the Rainbow. He had been on this planet for much too long. Even his comebacks have picked up the Midgardian slang. Silence hung over the two kin as they looked out over the tower to the city below.

"Stark certainly has an eccentric tastes for these Midgardian sceneries. All of his residences have some sort of expansive view of the landscape." Thor hummed in approval. Loki rolled his eyes. As if he'd just noticed. Everything about the billionaire, playboy philanthropist was eccentric. It certainly didn't leave him much to complain about when it came to their activities. At that, Loki coughed to keep the creeping blush away and to stop his thoughts from wandering any further down that particular path, especially in front of his former brother.

"Are you alright brother?" Thor turned his blue eyes from the city that was in the process of lighting up to the nightlife back to the still coughing God of Mischief.

"I'm fine." In his mind he growled, 'and stop calling me brother you oversized buffoon.' "What was it that you wished to speak with me about?"

"The Man of Iron does have a heart does he not?" That question threw the other god for a loop as he stared at his companion with his jaw slack.

"What brought this on?"

Those baby blue eyes bore into his, searching for something and that something was not going to be found without a heavy fight. Resigning, Thor laid back and gazed up to the sky.

"I was speaking with Barton and he stated that with your staff, you went through his heart and were able to push him out of his mind."

Loki winced at that particular memory and how said current person was still bearing a rather heavy grudge and wishing to stick an arrow through his throat.

"He also mentioned that Stark told him you had attempted the same thing on him but it did not work."

Loki remembered the hollow tapping sound as he attempted twice to bring the Iron Man to his side. He had been curious himself but well, he had been much to busy with other things to dwell on such a fleeting thought.

"The man does have a heart." Loki found his lips answering for him. "The staff was probably reacting to the Tesseract on top of his building.

Thor gave a halfhearted shrug. "That is possible brother. Jane had once said that every mortal here has a beating heart and without it they would surely perish. Thus Stark must be in possession of one."

"I would assume so as well."

"Jane has a heart. She showed me when she placed my hand between her bosoms and allowed me to feel the thud of such an organ. It was a marvelous feeling." Thor beamed. Loki shuffled in discomfort at the sharing of such private information.

"I care not for your philandering with the mortals." He snorted, picking himself up to stand as Thor sat up, giving him that same inquisitive gaze. "Why is that I am not captured and seated in your maximum security cell? Also, _brother_, why are you not trying to strangle me into submission before returning me to Asgard?"

Thor winced at the last statement before turning his eyes back to the realm. Loki huffed and moved to retrieve his knives from the wall, using his magic to fix the holes so that the stapler wouldn't get the blame for his target practice.

"Because your attack, though brutal, seemed out of character for you brother."

Loki froze at that statement. Out of character…HOW? He had blown up buildings. He had sent the monsters in. He had yelled and laughed as the humans ran pathetically in every which direction. He had used his magic to power up the monsters. He had seen Steve Rogers nearly beaten to a pulp by one of the trolls. He had Thor thrown through a few good loops with the variety of troops. Then Iron Man had come and he had gone right after him, red blurring his vision as he tore away at the human. Then, everything that was happening now happened.

"Brother—," before Thor could finish that statement a small loud speaker spoke up.

"Good evening sirs, Ms. Potts simply wished me to inform you that my creator was once again awake but has now disappeared. If you both could kindly locate him for I am not allowed to disclose his location, it would be much appreciated."

Loki automatically piped up, "is he not in his lab?"

"No sir, that was the first place she had checked."

"Then we shall assist Lady Potts and locate the elusive Man of Iron." Thor stood and walked to the door without a glance backward, leaving a frozen Loki in his wake. Inside, the god of chaos was seething.

'THAT FOOLISH MORTAL! He has only just awaken from a slumber I placed him in and he feels well enough to go wandering the streets?' With a whirl of his hands, his customary armor was on and staff was in hand. Hearing a few hollers from the Avengers downstairs that had started to run up upon feeling his power surge, his weaved a spell and vanished in a puff of smoke. When he found that mortal, he would wrangle more than just sense into his puny brain.

0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0

Tony woke feeling more rested that he had ever been since he was born pretty much. And that made him feel restless. He had to get out of here. The room was still suffocating. He needed to get out into the night air and feel the wind across his face. He couldn't suit up in here. It would be too suspicious. Instead, he took his bracelets for the mock seven and snuck down a tunnel he built behind his closet when he knew Pepper guarded every house exit and threatened JAVRIS with a virus if he let him get away.

The instant the cool New York air hit his face; Tony takes gulps upon gulps of crisp, fresh air. He looked up to the moon that was slowly beginning to come into view as the sun was in its last stages of setting, before barreling into the streets. He didn't have a destination in mind and knew that he would probably end up lost. Happy won't be happy again and Pepper was probably having a cow, but he needed this. Head down and jacket wrapped tight he made his way out. Though he should have expected what was to come next; it still caught him off guard.

"_ANTHONY STARK?"_ Oh yeah, there was still a rampaging god of chaos, doom and destruction with major issues and crazy after bed afterglow to deal with. Wait…why wasn't he in S.H.I.E.L.D custody yet? Either way, he now had a pair of glowing, and seemingly about to shoot lasers out of green eyes piercing his own brown ones filled with boredom and confusion. This was so what he needed at the moment.

"How _dare_ you perform such an act of foolishness and loose headedness!" Loki snarled, approaching him menacingly. Oddly enough, Tony didn't feel a thing. He didn't feel fear. No fear was still in the darkest recesses of his mind, knowing and clawing to come out at moments beckon. He didn't feel rage of the fact that the god had destroyed his precious Mock-5, which he had just repaired, and hand polished. He just stared at the angry god, completely blank while the other seemed to want to explode like a volcano. Is it even physically possible to turn that shade of red?

"ANSWER ME YOU FOOL!" Loki's yell sent the birds skittering away like a rabid pack of dogs chasing a bunny rabbit and left Tony with a dazed ringing in his ears.

"What do you want me to say?" He surprised himself with how calm his tone was and he could tell it threw Loki for a curve ball as well.

"What?" was all the god could stutter out as he stared into those impassive brown orbs. The two men stared at each other, the birds long since gone leaving them only with the night lights of the city and the stars, and the single street lamp they were currently under, glowing over the park bench in which Tony sat, staring out into the darkness of Central Park.

"What do you want me to say Loki?" Tony turned his face away from the god, closing his eyes and leaning his head back, reveling in the cool breeze passing through the leaves. "I've fought you, I've fucked you, I've been thrown out a window by you, and now my armor has taken a pissed off blow from you as well. What more do you want me to say?"

The god stood there, frozen in spot, barely breathing as he stared at the human that was adamantly defying every form of logic he had ever known to be in his life.

"I've seen things, I've done things, and I've been things. What more do you want? I went out. I needed so air. The lab would have been a bit crowded and despite there being Dummy, Pepper would have yelled at me. Steve would have coddled me. Banner would have poked and prodded me, begging to find out why I went all loopy. And now there's you, standing right there in front of me, yelling at me asking why I was an arrogant idiot to step outside of my own tower, into the town that I reside in and that you currently decided to make your ant. Instead of a boot though, you turned out of be a really terrible tissue who tries to squish the ant and misses time and time again." Tony stood up now, back still facing the god, and began to walk into the park.

"Now if you are done making a mess out of my night, I would like to finish my walk before the entire group finds my coordinates and I'm man handled rather ungracefully back to the penthouse."

"Then would you mind the company?" Loki finally found his silver tongue again. A shrug from the inventor was the cue and slowly, the tall, lanky figure joined the shorter one as they proceeded with their stroll.

"Now that you mention it though…how did you find me that fast? Please tell me it was my radiant personality that lit the beckon over my location."

Loki let out an exasperated sigh, "Right when I thought I was about to enjoy a pleasant conversation with an intelligent being."

"I am more than intelligent and I don't quite remember you ever wanting a conversation. After all, your lie-smith tongue was at work elsewhere."

"Stark, I shall turn you into something rather unsightly if you do not cease and desist this verbal horror."

"Oh back to Stark now are we?"

"_Anthony," _Loki spat out, smirking at the wince it got from the smaller man. They walked in relative silence for a bit, Tony noticing that his breath was coming out in small puffs now as the temperature dropped slowly.

"So…why aren't you in custody anyways?" Loki winced, remembering the fight that had broke out because of that issue between Rogers, Fury, and Thor ending only when Thor slammed Mjollnir onto the director's chest and refused to remove it until he agreed to the terms that Loki be allowed to see the Man of Iron and stay out of the holding cell.

"Yeah well, you win some, you lose some." Tony shrugged when Loki didn't answer. "By the way, thanks for the beach thing. Though you left out the important aspects of alcohol and scantily clad, blond bikini chicks with massive breasts."

"I was unaware of such tastes within you Anthony." Loki smirked when he saw the blush beginning to burn the other's neck. "Last time I checked, breasts were well endowed and not massive, and I believe you preferred brunets."

He allowed himself a smirk when he heard Tony mumble something about the reason he never slept with someone he could talk to later and walked further forward, distancing himself from the God. The silence settled in as well as the cold. Tony could feel the ice wanting to set in underneath his jacket. He risked a glance back at the God and gasped.

"DUDE! You're BLUE!"

Loki whirled on the human, eyes wide and hands quickly rising to touch his face, finger tips ghosting over his marks and he looked down to his hands, which were slowly beginning to adapt the same hue.

"You okay man?" Tony's hands were on him before his hissed, pulling back to stare at the raw stinging flash. Minor case of frostbite…this was totally weird. The God's green eyes were solidifying into rubies and all Tony would do was watch in wonder as the god went from human…to a blue…well…god creature thingy?

"Loki—!" Before anything else could be said, Loki blasted him with a blue jet of magic and as he felt the familiar sensation of teleportation tugging him, he reached for the blue Norse God as he watched the man drop face into his hands, red eyes slamming themselves shut. Then the both of them if had been seen, would have vanished into their own respective clouds of smoke.

0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0

Tony woke to a very angry looking Pepper as he tried to duck back under his covers while she dragged him bodily up into a sitting position, force feeding him soup and the day's paper before leaving in a huff to continue her job of running his company. He looked down to his hands where the angry red marks had slowly begun to fade. He off handedly asked JARVIS to go get some cream because he knew the wounds would start to sting soon. The blue god still filled his mind. His last fleeting thought as he slept was why did those eyes look so tortured?

0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0

Loki destroyed his apartment. Well, destroyed is an understatement. Vaporized was more like it. Everything was upturned, burned, torn, for plain turned to dust. Windows smashed, curtains torn, countertops broken, appliances torn from the walls, and in the middle of it all was the God of Fire, Mischief, and Chaos with his face hidden in his hands and green eyes darting back and forth, staring at the claw ripped carpet. Stark had seen what he was. He had tried to touch him. He had not run screaming, but Loki was the one who had blasted him away. Why of all the times then? He screamed in frustration, nails digging into his face as his entire body let out another blast of magic that smashed deep craters into the walls. At least this was a cheap place that didn't ask questions of its tenants. He would fix it up later when he felt like moving. Right now, all he did was topple over to his side, curling into a small ball and fell asleep with his arms wrapped tightly around himself.

He dreamt of Asgard. He dreamt of all the places were he and Thor used to run, chasing each other squealing with laughter or screaming in fear as they ran from Odin when a prank went wrong. He dreamt of a time when he was ignorant and blissfully burying himself in tome after tome of magic spells, earning laughter from little girls when he turned broken shards of pots into flowers for them, laughing to himself when he turned Thor's cape into a vegetable leaf after a nasty bruise his brother had left him on his cheek during a play wrestle. But most of all, he dreamt of Stark. The way those brown eyes looked at his. The way he had asked him to change back. The way he had reached out to touch him without hesitation when Loki took on his Frost Giant form.

He felt that same twist of a knife in his chest when he remembered the limp and pliable being he had held in his arms after nearly rage killing the man. He wondered what the man had dreamt of when those blank eyes met his. Then he knew the feeling that was running through his veins then and was still there now. He, Loki Laufeyson, had felt fear for another being other than himself.

"Damn you Anthony Stark." Loki murmured to the darkness of his surroundings. "Damn you."


	5. Can We Pretend

_Can we pretend that airplanes  
In the night sky  
Are like shooting stars?  
I could really use a wish right now  
Wish right now  
Wish right now_

___Can we pretend that airplanes  
In the night sky  
Are like shooting stars?  
I could really use a wish right now  
Wish right now  
Wish right now_

_-B.O.B "Airplanes"_

Days passed into weeks, weeks passed into months. Four months passed and still there had been no sign of Loki. The Avengers found themselves mostly twiddling their thumbs in utter boredom half the time after they had put away most evil villains over and over again. The villains took the hint and were too irritated at coming out for another ass whopping. Doom had been a nuisance two weeks ago but after his entire army blew up in his face from a computer virus on Tony's behalf, he had yet to show his face again. The Captain had picked up being a boxing instructor. Thor went back to Asgard after spending sometime in New Mexico with Jane. Clint and Natasha were off on some crazy mission that Fury had barked to them to other day. Banner went on a cruise back to India to help open up another charity clinic. This left the infamous Tony Stark with…complete, mind-numbing boredom and too much time on his hands that he knew what to do with. His ribs and arms healed at an alarming rate. Actually, after his incident in the park, there had been quite an uproar of just how was it he was even able to move which was when the fact that his injuries were basically non-existent had hit him. Thor acclaimed in a booming voice that it had been his brother's healing sleep that had allowed the Man of Iron to mend at such a rapid rate. Either way, at least he could get back into his lab.

The first few days he upgraded the schemes to every functioning Iron Man suit he had. By the first month, he had finished all repairs and upgrades on every one except for Mark VIII, which was still missing the spinning rims and instant-play theme music. Half way through the second month, everything was done and he'd even finished plans on a potential Mark X. By the end of the second month, he'd finished upgrading Dummy. The third month left him spending most of his time upgrading JARVIS to recognize magical signatures leading to him being the first one on site when Thor crash landed in a crater just south of the city continuing the score of land 0, Thor 35. By the fourth month, when he wasn't being reamed by Fury to save the city and get his ass into gear, he spent it curled up in his bed nursing whichever bottle of alcohol happened to be in his grasp. And that was how he wound up in the next situation he was coherent enough to remember.

The nightclub music pounded into his ears as the flashing of the lights made him feel dizzy, sick, and exhilarated all that the same time. There was a blond grinding in his front smelling of cheap margaritas and tequila, rolling her hips completely off beat and high enough not to care. There was blond dyed black running her hands down his back, nibbling his ears and rolling her body into his. He was in a sandwich that paid no attention to the music and for some odd reason; it was bothering him. The cocaine flooding through the girl in front and the ecstasy running through the veins of the girl behind him made it feel all the more wrong around the buzz of JD coursing through his veins. Green eyes, a lithe body, perfect rhythmic movements flood through his mind reaching his lips and a snarling moan. He felt his hands grasp the hips of the blond in front of him, pushing and guiding them back into beat against his pelvis. When she took note and ground him right there, he threw his head back much to the delight of the girl behind him who too the opportunity to kiss him and slip a pill between his lips. The next time he woke up, he was in his bed with both of them tangled in his sheets. What he didn't remember was why there was a hole in the wall behind him and a burned spot on the bathroom door across from him.

"JARVIS." Tony croaked, blinking blearily at the mess surrounding him, ignoring the protest of the blond dyed black as he shifted her to the side to scramble out of his bed, sheets falling left and right and the spinning of the room causing him to tumble, grasping the dresser for support.

"Well sir, I would be lying if I told you I hadn't seen you much worse than this." The AI quipped, turning on the screens to display the usual weather and stock scores.

"Yeah, keep it to yourself. Just show me the surveillance video of last night."

"As you wish." The holographic screen turned on to his left playing everything in too bright a display color for Tony's comfort. He winced as he watched his Iron Man suit blast a hole in his own wall and then the monotonous tones that was him fucking both of the equally strung out girls that were still in his bed. Nothing was out of the ordinary until he saw a dark figure in the hallway outside. A quick flash of light and the figure disappeared with it, leaving only the burn mark on his door and for the first time in Tony Stark's life, he actually was starting to regret what he had done the night before.

"JARVIS, did you put a trace on that signature?"

"Yes sir. I had it traced to an apartment complex more towards the other side of town but since then it has fallen off the grid."

"Send the coordinates to my tablet. I'll be ready in five."

"I shall have it ready for you in the following hour sir."

"Thank you JARVIS."

The girls screaming as he threw their clothes at them and kicked them out the door didn't help his headache at all. Showering took longer than excepted due to the fact that standing up for even a few minutes sent him into dark spirals and retching down the drain. He was ready in the following three hours, and as promised, JARVIS had everything sent to its proper place two hours ago. After calling in the Fury to send someone to fix his wall, earning him an eye roll and a lecture, he blasted out to the coordinates.

0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0

Loki had been on the down low since the incident at the park. After repairing everything that had been the victim of his anger, he took his staff and vanished from the world. The next time he was on the other end of the portal, he found himself back on the entrenched planet of Jotenheim and completely surrounded.

"Son of Odin," one of the frost giants exclaimed, arms already forming into ice. This left Loki with a smirk.

"Actually it's Laufeyson." A collective gasp rose from the group as the murmured Laufey traveled down the group. Heavy footsteps echoed as the group parted to allow the king, Laufey himself, to enter into the ring.

The two stared each other down, one's green eyes piercing the other's red as a moment of collective silence passed through the group.

"Show me you runt. What have you gained since you survived?" Laufey smirked when he saw a twitch run through the small God's form.

"I'll show you just what I have learned since I tried to destroy this pitiful piece of dust you call a planet with the Bifrost."

That earned him a collective roar but no one dared to move until the king gave out his orders. Laufey's red eyes narrowed in a menacing glower and with a snap of his claws, every unit swarmed onto the small god. With a quick murmur, Loki sent himself out of the ring and on onto the rock near by. The first blade he sent flying hit the nearest frost giant right through the head. One hit kill. The next twenty of them flattened the first row that came after him. Deeming the blades not fast or sufficient enough to decrease their numbers, he fought the next ice sword aimed at him with his scepter, blocking the hit before stabbing running it through his opponent's heart. One after the other after the other came to tear him down and one after the other he dismembered. Movements quick and light on his feet, he multiplied his image before appearing behind the foes and killing them off with a snarl on his lips. But all too soon Loki notices that the troops realized that he was not just another Thor who would bash and bang his way through his foes with invincible strength but rather, they would be tricked to falling into their own demise. Their movements became sly, attacking all at once and at different angles to keep the god on alert. Suddenly, he found himself cornered with his back to a cliff, angry red eyes pinning his small form from every direction. A feral snarl came from Loki's lips as he launched himself into the ring only to find himself, on his stomach, staff ripped from his hands, pinned by two giants on his arms and another two on his legs. The armor froze off and soon, his blue form came to the surface, green sliding into red as another snarl and a weak struggle erupted from his being.

"Well that sure was a demonstration." Laufey smirked, pressing a boot onto the god's head and smashing his face into the dirt floor. "It makes me want to kill you all the more_ my son._"

"As if you could even touch me." Loki snarled to the frozen stone, fists tightening as he slid his red eyes to glower into the ones of his supposed father. A thick blue finger slid to his cheeks and a sadistic smirk lit itself across Laufey's face.

"I think I just did." Straightening up he yelled at the subordinates. "Take this mongrel of a creature to a cell. I shall deal with him later." Opening his hands for the staff, he took the scepter and slammed the end of it onto Loki's cheek as a final insult before heading back to the castle.

Loki felt himself being jerked upwards before being half dragged and half thrown towards the direction of the caves. He knew the temperature can become so cold that a normal being would be frozen solid and shattered the next day. He also knew the guards could be more than personal thus he had no intention of staying for too long. As soon as they slammed the gate shut, he found himself curled in the darkest corner, waiting till the day his magic would be fully restored after his exhaustive battle efforts so that it may be strong enough to activate the teleportation diagram and get him off this miserable planet.

The days passed with routine beating and mockery. Ribs broken then healed, cuts made over and over again with blunt knives and ice spears, hours being forced into his frost giant form splayed across a hot coal block. How they heated it up left Loki wondering as he bit his lip till it bled to keep from screaming.

"Look at what has become of the _GOD_ of lies now," they laughed. Loki smirked inwardly to himself. Just wait till he came back to this miserable planet and had everything wiped out right before their very eyes.

Soon though he forgot how much time had passed. The pain was a dull signal of how long he had been awake that specific day but at this point he just snorted. His magic had been building and a sign of it was that he hadn't been healing himself. The guards took it as a sign of weakening. Only Laufey knew better.

One night an hour before dark, Loki's eyes watched nervously as he saw a guard slowly approach the cave with some sort of mask in hand. The gag registered in the green eyed being's mind as he rapidly felt his entire body tensing to that idea. The searing pain of his lips being stitched shut and the humiliation of the mask that was placed on his being after his defeat by the Avengers sent his body into a violent shudder. Hiding himself well in the darkness, Loki poised his body for attack. As soon as the frost giant opened the door and stepped inside, he felled it with a small dagger to its jugular. Making the final markings to his circle, he felt his power rush as the staff was summoned to his hand and just as the enraged shouts of the giants surrounded him, he felt the jerk of the portal and the swirling peace of passage between worlds.

When he landed, he felt thoroughly shaken and completely exhausted. Looking around, Loki breathed a sigh of relief after recognizing that he was where he wanted to be. Whispering to JARVIS not to set the alarm off he proceeded to the bedroom. What he saw sent him reeling back in shock, disgust, and caused that same knife to be stabbed into his chest. In the bed was Anthony Stark and on his right was a _blond_ and the other was another _blond?_ Has the man no taste in the regality of brunettes? He didn't care. He was fuming. A silent scream escaped his lips as he blasted his staff through the nearest object he could find and teleported to his own residence. The instant he hit the ground he knew it had been a bad idea. The portal hopping had strained his magic but by teleporting again so soon, even the short distance left him strained his magic to the point of nothing and he saw black, red and white tugging at the edge of his vision. The instant he felt the floor of his own apartment touch his feet, he toppled over sideways allowing the blackness to consume his vision, staff clattering uselessly to the side while his armor flaked off piece by piece. There was a faint knocking at his door but Loki simply rolled his eyes and pressed his face further into the carpet. Just let him rest.

0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0

Tony tipped the homeless man with a Ben before blasting through the apartment complexes to find the one where the god's signature had disappeared off to. Luckily after the park incident, Loki hadn't been quite in this area. The homeless man said he saw flashes of light followed by screaming and some sort of green fire coming from the building well in the middle of the ghetto metropolis a few times but didn't bother asking any questions. Tony registered that very rapidly. Here, the more questions you ask, the shorter your lifespan will become. Quickly weaving through the buildings, he arrived at the one the old man had been describing and had to do a double take at just how bad a shape the complex was in. In fact, by his always-correct calculations, it had all of maybe four years before it collapsed in on itself without needed to be knocked down for a new condominium complex. Loki chose this place to be a home?

'I guess we all don't have to be flashy with our goods.' Tony snorted to himself. 'Though I'm pretty sure not many people see a man decked out in an suit made of gold titanium alloy with blasters and a tracking GPS that can find an ant in Australia. Pressing a button, Tony breathed a sigh of relief as he felt the suit contract into a semi normal looking brief case before gingerly knocking on the door. There was a faint groan but otherwise no answer.

"Loki," Tony called in the most nonthreatening, least sarcastic tone he could manage. "Hey you know if you groan that kinda says you're home so could you be a good host and open the door?" Could this get any more awkward? When there was still no response Tony huffed to himself semi wishing he could pull a Loki and just teleport his ass wherever he wanted to go. The memory of the wrenching and swirling sensation followed by the puking had him second-guessing that thought almost immediately.

"Look if this is about what I think you saw when you saw it, I can explain. Speaking of which actually, where the hell of you been for the past four months?" The only thing that greeted his ears was silence. At that point, eyebrow twitching with irritation, Tony hollered through the door, "You can't just VANISH and expect me not to do anything. I'm a playboy billionaire philanthropist with a high dose of GENIUS! SO OPEN THE DOOR BEFORE I BREAK IT!"

The whimper that greeted his ears felt like a slap in the face. All the rage and frustration bled out of the inventor almost instantaneously.

"Loki?" Silence was again the greeting. Tony was beginning to get a weird twisting feeling in his stomach as he put his hand on the door handle. He was surprised when the doorknob twisted without any resistance. Wow, so much for genius if he can't even open an unlocked door.

"Hey I'm coming in so don't kill me or try or turn my penis into a marshmallow and stuff like that." Stepping into the room, the first thing he noticed was that everything was contrasting. Black carpet with pale white furniture pieces, all of which looked much to classy to be sitting in an apartment in this dump. Still there was no sign of the god of mischief.

"Loki? You in here?" he walked into the kitchen and still there was nothing leaving Tony to admire the simple black tile with the silver appliances. There was even a toaster…wouldn't Loki make Thor so proud. Yet there was still no sign of the demented and confusing god. Turning around had Tony bolting into the living room, dropping the Iron Man brief case with a loud thud onto the floor before dropping to his knees and placing his hands on the sprawled out figure in the middle of the carpet. Brown eyes blinked as he watched the last of the blue color fading back into the man's skin before gulping when he noticed that aside from that, all the god now had on were his leather trousers leaving little to the imagination.

"Loki, hey Loki," Tony gingerly shook the figure, receiving only a groan and a whimper as a response. Well whatever put the god in this terrible of shape could probably explain why he had been gone for so long. Tony swallowed the sick sensation when he saw that the carpet had been disguising the god's wounds as it was soaking up the blood running down the pale being's body.

"What did you get yourself into this time?" Tony slid his hand onto the pale chest as he moved to flip the man over, tensing when he felt his hands come across the wetness of the blood on the underside of his body. Geez, there wasn't a part of this man that wasn't beaten up, broken, or cut. He must have pissed someone off really badly.

At the movement, Loki stirred, green eyes coming up blearily to meet Tony's concerned brown. Next thing the ex-weapons maker knew; there was a hard grip on his neck and the green eyes had narrowed into slits. Hands quickly grappling to the pale slender digits of the other, Tony clawed for air.

"Loki," he choked, "Loki…it's me…I'm…trying…to help." The hand clenched tighter and for a moment the inventor really thought he was going to die until he felt the hand completely lose it's grip and topple sideways back onto the carpet leaving Tony doubled over heaving for air.

"Leave…Stark."

Green met brown in a permanent glower before the spat the next words out in disgust.

"You have no business being here in my company when you have so many other options for pleasurable significant others."

Said human could only snort in annoyance before replying, "One, I can explain that and two leaving may have been easier before you decided that my windpipe was a slip and slide snake."

"A what?" Loki raised one elegant eyebrow before his eyes squeezed shut as another spasm of pain passed through his body.

"You know. Those slips and slide water snake toys that slip to one end when you squeeze the other." Tony tried demonstrating with hand gestures earning him and even higher, wait is that even possible, raise of the already raised eyebrow from the man lying in front of him.

"if you are to reference your reproductive organs, I would prefer much rather just a simple name rather than a disturbing nickname." Loki snorted. Tony blushed.

"I'm being serious. It's a toy and it comes in all different colors and I think sizes and I'm just going to shut up because I'm digging myself into a deeper and deeper hole with this aren't eye."

Silence from the god was a good enough answer for the inventor.

"Alright then. Now what?" The inventor deadpanned pulling a choking noise from the god's lips as the two locked eyes once more and a heavy silence came back into the atmosphere. It's Loki that takes the initiative and asks the first question.

"Why are you here?"

This takes the inventor aback as he continues to stare into those mesmerizing green pools. Whirlwinds of snarky replies, general answers, vague hand gestures, and other syllables of gurgled responses flew through his mind until he settled on one that just tripped out of his mouth.

"Because I cared and was worried _and _because you flew the coop for FOUR MONTHS _without_ even saying goodbye after going blue man group on my ass." Wow, he'd have to pat himself on the back for how his mouth likes to spew long streams of crap even when his brain was at an off function. Meeting the god's eyes once more, he was surprised to see the man with the silver tongue with his jaw dropped.

"Um…cat got your tongue?"

Then, Loki laughed. Not the evil maniacal chuckle everyone was used to hearing but actually laughter, although interrupted with small wheezes and winces from the pain of the obvious injuries.

"You…are a strange mortal."

"Oh so now we're back to mortal." Tony huffed, sitting back and crossing his arms. This earned another chuckle followed by a pronounced wince.

"I would love to get back at you for your tongue and cheek as it were but I find myself to be in a situation in which, although I am not comfortable, I am also at a disability when it comes to movement."

"Round about way of saying you're hurt and can't move Rudolph."

"Bite me." Loki snarled. Tony sat straight up at the swipe; one because it was very un-Loki-and-Thor like and the other was the small smirk working its way onto his lips.

"If I were follow orders which just so you know, I'm not. I would be happy to allow such an action to occur your highness," Tony snickered.

"Do shut up Stark."

"Well if you keep calling me Stark then you can lie of the carpet while I go watch Super Nanny." When the green eyes once more met his clouded with confusion, the mechanical genius decided to continue, "or you can call me Tony, since we're pretty much on that level of personal the first night we went for a romp, and I can try and pick you up, clean you up, and put you to bed. Whichever you prefer since I'm not the one in a bloody mess looking like he'd gone through all the casinos in Vegas and back."

Loki stared back at the human as if he'd sprouted three heads and could breath flames. What on earth, how dare this mortal man speak to him in such a manner? Also…why hadn't Loki just slit his throat, disposed of the body and be rid with one of the Avengers. Those brown eyes looked back at his with hesitation and nervousness while the bottom lip had been sucked in between perfectly white teeth that were proceeding to gnaw on it. Best put him out of his misery then.

"Very well…Tony. I would appreciate it if you could help me up from this current predicament and we can proceed with the listed procedures."

Tony Stark was ready to jump up and do a victory whoop and holler before coming back to his senses and quickly containing his badly hidden eagerness with a 1000 watt grin that had Loki thinking he was staring at a sun.

"Alleyoop."

"Alley-wha-HEY!" Loki have an undignified yelp as he was swept up into surprising strong arms that were very sturdy and unyielding while all the while being mindful of his injuries.

The bath turned out to be an awkward and very wet affair with glowers and swears left and right leaving both men beyond drained, Loki practically on death's door thus resulting in a haphazard stumble into the bedroom where both collapsed in an undignified heap and hit lights out in seconds. That night, neither of them dreamed.


	6. In the Beginning

_In the beginning, I tried to warn you_

_You play with fire, its gonna burn you  
And here we are now, in the same situation,  
You never listen, I never listen  
Now I am thinking of a way that I can make an escape  
It's got me caught up in a web and my hearts the prey  
Do you really wanna throw your heart away, away, away? _

_-Good Charlotte "Victims of Love"_

Tony woke to the sound of his phone ringing its usual high-pitched ringtone. The usual thoughts of why don't I just change it and why must I always be my own downfall swirl through his head as he reached for it, only to find it snatched out of his grip by long, pale digits and hurled across the room, shattering upon impact with the wall. Right, there was a prissy god that he had conveniently decided to put to bed and go to bed with last night.

"Go to hell you abhorrent contraption," Loki muttered before turning over and burying himself deeper into the covers and pulling them tight up past his shoulders. Tony groaned in agreement before rolling back to spoon against the god, throwing an arm around the slender waist. The smells of leather, mint, and books reached his nose and drew a sigh from the very groggy inventor. Everything would be fine because he would sleep through the day then get up and do some work and…that was so not his hand. Loki seemed to have noticed this as well for a slow smirk spread across his face as he turned to face the inventor, leaving their lips mere centimeters apart.

"Well good morning to you Mr. Stark." Loki purred, smirk spreading lazily further as he watched the man's Adam apple bob in discomfort. He watched as the other's pupils dilated and breathing become slightly more erratic and took the cue to gently slide a leg in between the two of the inventors. The gentle pressure tore a moan from Tony making it clear in his mind that he was once again about to bed a god. Moving to roll them over, he found that the lithe, pale hands shoved him roughly back down and pinned his wrists to the headboard with a solid strength he had yet to program into his brain that the other man possessed.

"Not this time." Loki licked a tongue lazily down the taunt and straining muscles of Tony's neck, nipping gently before biting down hard on the clavicle. The buck that Tony responded with was almost enough to dislodge him had he been a normal human being. The only thing was; he was ready today to make sure the mortal remembered that he was a god.

0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0

Tony was in a dream, only once again, there were no blonde busty hookers and an abundance of alcohol and he was surprising sober. But damn that was amazing enough that he had to make sure he wasn't in a dream. So he did what normal humans would do and winced.

"What in your rightful find possessed you to just pinch yourself Stark?" Loki snorted in amusement as he stepped out from the shower, black towel wrapped around his waist as water dripped from his hair, making its way down his toned chest, stomach, and Tony smirked as he remembered what was further down there. His backside sure did. Loki noticed the gawking and smirked before sauntering over to his cabinets, taking his time to get dressed, flipping his hair back before climbing back to the exhausted and sated human. Strong arms wrapped around him as he was pulled into the solid chest, skirting to the left a little to make sure he didn't hit his head against the arc reactor upon descent. They just stayed there, breathing, staring through the closed curtains to the fully blaring sun seeing as how they decided to stay in till 2 in the afternoon.

"I'm starving." Tony muttered, running his fingers absent-mindedly through the dark, wet locks.

"If you suggest that shawarma thing again I will not hesitate to toss you out the nearest window." Loki chuckled, ignoring the fact that he said that statement with a slurred voice because damn it, he was comfortable and nodding off again.

"I was going to say we could call in. I'm feeling pizza." Tony laughed when he saw the god crinkle his nose in distaste. "Hey don't dump it till you try it."

"I'd rather like to avoid eating something that you use as "hangover food" when it comes to choosing what is to be my sustenance." Loki snorted. Tony gave him the hurt puppy dog look he was learning from Steve, earning him a halfhearted punch in the upper arm.

"Come on though, pizza is one of man's best creations."

"As you wish Stark."

"Well…," Tony held up the shattered pieces of his phone sheepishly from the ground where they had landed after Loki's angry pitch. This guy should play professional baseball, football would work too considering he could flip all the guys over with one hand being a God and all. "You'd have to fix my phone."

Loki huffed and snapped his fingers, returning the infernal contraption back to its original state earning a shocked gasp from the inventor as he turned his newly fixed machine over and over again in his hands.

Half and hour later, Tony was showered, and Loki was sitting across from him eyeing a greasy piece of pepperoni pizza as if it was going to come alive and eat off his hand.

"Will you just take a bite?" the inventor huffed through a mouthful of his, rolling his eyes at the death glare aimed in his direction.

Loki hesitantly brought the piece to this mouth and took a small nip, rolling it on his tongue before finally swallowing.

"It is not as bad as it looks Stark."

Tony snorted and went for another piece as Loki slowly chewed his way through his first. Silence ensued as they both munched until Loki finally resigned.

"Aren't you going to ask me why I presented myself in such a pitiful state the night of last?"

Tony shrugged, still munching on the pizza before stating, "I was just thinking that you had a bad night out but well, if you feel like sharing with the rest of the class, I'll listen."

Loki glowered and shut his mouth against another slice of the food called pizza, which not only was not as bad as it looked, but also seemed to become quite an addiction.

"I went back to see some old acquaintances and they did not take kindly to my presence."

Tony gave him a lazy "and you are surprised by that how Mr. Kneel Bitch Kneel" look that had Loki snarling into the man of iron's face in seconds.

"Do not test me mortal." Loki's green eyes narrowed, pinning the zoned out brown with a scorching glare. Tony simply shrugged and reached for the last piece of pizza, leaning his stubble into his hand before pinning the God down with a gaze of his own.

"You still haven't told me why I found you on the floor, bleeding, passing out, and looking worse than me after I decided to go on a nonstop alcoholic binge for months at a time."

Loki paused before taking another bite of the so-called pizza, ignoring the mortal and choosing instead to stare at the wall. An irritated huff from Stark meant that the man understood he was not going to get any answers without the threat of having his tongue pulled out then shoved down his own throat. Silence hung over the atmosphere until a loud buzz followed by the screeching sound of an angry Pepper snapped Tony back into reality. He looked over at the God who was watching with those mesmerizing pools of green that seemed to ask him to stay while trying to fight the instinct to throw the man out the door.

"I have to," Tony began.

"Go," Loki replied with barely a breath of a whisper.

"Yeah." Tony blinked, squirming a little as a new sensation pitted and twisted in his stomach. He stood, grabbing his briefcase and made a quick dash for the door before whirling around nearly causing a semi caught off god guard to fall flat onto his bottom from his seat.

"Do you want to grab dinner sometime in I dunno really but I'd estimate it to be around say this evening?" Tony blurted out in one jumbled mass while gesturing grandly with his suitcase, barely missing a vase perched on the nightstand beside him.

Loki blinked, his deep jade eyes going to the size of saucers before snapping his slack jaw shut with an audible click, responding with a high pitched keen that was neither yes or no. Still the brown eyes of the billionaire playboy bore into his waiting, and as always, impatiently expecting an answer.

"So, before you kicked a dog somewhere around here, is that a yes or a no?" Tony huffed, indignantly crossed his eyes and peering down over the edge of his shades.

"Tell me that an insanity disease just crawled up your britches and is currently nibbling through you bottom for you to have asked me such a ridiculous question and then expect and immediate answer." Loki snapped. The god was beginning to understand the man's feelings of needing a drink in hand constantly.

"I caught all of half of that and no, there is no bug biting my delectable ass because your teeth have already claimed it," Tony snorted, snickering slightly when the god's cheeks turned a pale shake of pink, "and I am still waiting for a simple Y-E-S or N-O Lokidy-dokidy Reindeer games."

"What…did you just…CALL ME?!" Loki roared, scepter appearing in hand and already charging to hit with a full blast as Tony vanished out the door. The blast tore through the door and well into the sky before the oh-ho-so cocky billionaire dared to peek back into the room at the fuming god.

"I'll pick you up at say 8pm?" metal iron already beginning to form around the rest of his body and repulsors firing up ready to take off into the sky.

"STARK!"

But the god of mischief had no choice but to scream into the sky as the face plate on the suit snapped shut and Iron Man took off into the chilled blue sky of Manhattan.

0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0

Arriving at Stark Tower, Tony was expecting many things. Pepper should have been there to throw work on him. Clint could possibly be up to no good and be aiming arrows for target practice past the balcony. The better one would have been Natasha lounging by the pool in a bikini while Captain tightwad blushed like a tomato passing by to go into the gym. Hell, even Fury screaming at the top of his lungs at him about another virus would have been more welcomed to the greeting he got. Well more of, this one hit him dead in the chest quite literally.

"MAN OF IRON!"

And enter the other crazy strong and invincible demigod brother to the other crazy god of earth's residence, the one, the only, Thor Odinson. A girlish shriek alerted him that Thor had in fact beaten Pepper to the punch and as he moved to get up, the found himself being slammed down by the hammer of the oh so smash happy hammer god and pinned there by that damn immoveable force that is no one can pick this damn hammer up except for Thor.

"Good to see you too Point Break." Tony wheezed as he felt the metal lurch and pin his chest down further as he tried in vain to rise.

"I smell my brother on you, his magic is running all over your skin. I have been curious as to just what you meant to him after the incident in the downward direction of this town but now…YOU BED MY BROTHER STARK?!"

A collective gasp rose from the apparently just now gathered peanut gallery as Tony flipped his faceplate open to meet the wide eyes and covered mouth of Pepper's, the impassive by scowling face of Natasha, the blank shock of Clint, then finally the furious red of Captain America. Good thing Bruce was not in the tower otherwise he would never like green as a color ever again.

"Tony…is it true?" Pepper whispered?

"Which part?" Tony wheezed, only to gasp as Thor leaned the hammer further into the man's chest with a growl.

"Do not play games with us Man of Iron. Do you or do you not have the experience of bedding my brother?"

"Oh that part." Tony looked nervously around the gang again before sighing and moving his arms into a gesture of defeat. "I guess that would be um…yes, and for your information, not only have I bedded him but he has in fact also bedded me if you get the drift, and two we are going for dinner tonight at 8."

The silence that hung in the air was stifling enough to asphyxiate a herd of stampeding elephants. Surprising, it was Natasha who broke the silence, her voice cutting through the thick cover like the sharpness of one of Loki's daggers through the air.

"So you are fucking Loki." She deadpanned leaving Tony to blink because he could count on one finger using the increments to count how many times he's heard the Russian swear so openly.

"Um…yeah I guess you could say that."

She paused for a minute before turning around and heading back inside before throwing over her shoulder, "You must be pretty good to tire him out enough to not attack the city for months at a time."

Being a genius, billionaire, playboy, philanthropist, you should expect everything except Tony didn't know whether he was going to wet himself or just fall out a window without a suit on. Clint nodded before running after the other mast assassin and Pepper was quick to follow suit.

"So…you two, you know…fondue?" Steve whispered.

"If you mean fuck like horny teenagers and hump like rabbits in heat with fondue then yes," Tony coughed as Thor tore the hammer for his chest only to drop it down and replace it with his large hands.

"If you hurt him, if you so much as breath wrongly in his prescience, no that you will experience no greater pain than that of which I will deal to you personally." Thor left with a whirling of his cape.

"Fondue…," Captain whispered before giving Tony a hand up and leaving himself.

Tony was left there, standing dumbfounded as Jarvis removed his suit wondering and hoping that Fury wasn't to be expected as well.

This was before he looked at the clock.

"CRAP! IT'S ALREADY 5:30pm!"

Pepper was a godsend even when she was in a half shocked state resulting quite a few paper cuts at his expense when the sheets were torn to quickly and jerkily out of his hands. Just two and a half more hours to go before the real carnival begins.


	7. I knew you were trouble

_Cause I knew you were trouble when you walked in_

_So shame on me now  
Flew me to places I'd never been  
So you put me down oh  
I knew you were trouble when you walked in  
So shame on me now  
Flew me to places I'd never been  
Now I'm lying on the cold hard ground  
Oh, oh, trouble, trouble, trouble  
Oh, oh, trouble, trouble, trouble_

_~"I knew you were trouble" –Taylor Swift_

The thoughts that were racing through Loki's head were more or less ranging from borderline nervous and mental breakdown, to downright murderous and sinister. How dare that mortal place him in such a difficult situation? What nerve did someone so puny, so weak, so insignificant have that he would…what was the Midgardian term for it again? Oh right, asking him out. Loki screamed in frustration before slamming his bedroom door another four times before sliding down and pitching the closest thing to his hands, which happened to be a hardcover novel, straight across the room, lodging itself in the cement wall above his nightstand.

"WHY IS THE HARDEST THING RIGHT NOW DECIDING WHAT TO WEAR FOR THE MOST ACURSED OCCASION OF MY BEING?!" The god shrieked to no one in particular as he dive-bombed into his closet after lighting an unfortunate houseplant on fire as he passed. Contrary to popular belief, he did own clothes and was quite the frivolous shopper. If he liked something, he acquired it. Not to mention at the moment, he did not wish to waste magic on creating a general disguise. But at the moment, his usually neat, and color-coordinated closet looked like he let Thor fight a bilgesnipe in it. Emerging with his hair complete tousled and temperament pretty much on the brink of another plot for world domination, Loki roared to the bathroom where he promptly blasted the water on hot and sulked in the bathtub. That was until he glanced at the clock and realized that it was already close to 7pm and he still had no outfit and his apartment was destroyed. Sighing in resignation, he emerged from his now lukewarm bath and calmly selected a few outfits before smirking to himself as another idea beamed its way into his brain.

"I need to stop watching so many movies," the green eyed magician grumbled to himself as he realized his metaphors and manner of speech was taking a slow and steady toll the longer he spent on Midgard.

"But I'm sure not even the movies can come up with this playbook."

0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0

Tony was shaking. To say he was nervous was to call him dumb. It was simply something that he was not and will never be. Then why was his heart pounding out of his chest and sweat greasing the underside of his palms to the point in which he could swear his car keys were going to fall out as well as the flowers that he had picked up for the date. For fuck's sake, he even went out of his way to get flowers. Tony sighed and slicked his hair back before sucking in a massive breath and knocking on the door.

"One moment please," came the slow, sexy drawl that he was used to, grunting when his heart once more decided to have an open competition with his arc reactor, trying to beat the machine out of his thoracic cavity. When the door opened, he saw a very male Loki, dressed prim and proper in a tight pair of suit pants, a silk emerald button down top accompanied by a long black tie, and a jacket synched slightly at the waist to bring out the slimness of his form. It took all of the great Tony Stark's self control not to yank that tie down, drag the former villain back into the apartment and ravish him for all he was worth right then and there. Loki smirked, green eyes glinting with mischief as he read the arousal and nervousness off the man's body language.

"Well, good evening Mr. Stark. Please do come in." Loki's smirk only grew wider when he saw the man's Adam's apple bob with a nervous swallow before entering the apartment completely speechless.

"I uh," but the inventor was cut off when a pair of cool lips crashed themselves onto his, tongue coming out languidly to duel with the other, deepening, swallowing, consuming. Damn, and he was seriously trying to make it to desert. But as soon as it had begun, it ended, leaving them both with a healthy color to their cheeks and panting for breath.

"Got you flowers." Tony squeaked, practically smacking the god in the face with the colorful bouquet. Loki chuckled, accepting the gift, placing it on the counter behind him before sitting up, straightening his clothes and clearing his throat.

"I also have something for you." Loki smirked.

"Oh," Tony raised his eyebrow very skeptically. "Well whatever it is, you might want to make it quick because well, my car is out front and I don't want it destroyed and also, the reservation won't last all night, well maybe it will but still, dinner at 8:30 is a must."

"Don't worry, you will not be disappointed." Loki smirked. Green light shimmered around him, after which, Tony really hoped he was super-duper-extra drunk. Standing before him there were now four Loki's all wearing the same damn seductive outfit with equally sexy grins.

"Um, the reservation was for two." Tony really needed to control his very erratic breathing.

"But I'm sure they can make some exceptions for the very great Anthony Stark." Loki purred as two of the men just so happened to turn into the sexy, long legged brunettes, sauntering their wide hips and ample breasts in the direction of the well known playboy as their clothing morphed to suit this new gender. God those legs go on for miles under that sinfully short, tight, cocktail dress.

"Will there be no room for us Mr. Stark?" the two female clones chorused in union as they pressed themselves along side either one of Tony's shoulders. Loki was having way too much fun watching just what color of red a human's ears could turn.

"I will get on it right now," Tony let out an undignified squeak again and Loki blinked, thinking of only one other time he'd seen someone else run away from his presence that fast without being threatened. That one had involved cross-dressing and a lot of later explanations. His clones were chuckling to themselves when they heard the Man of Iron roaring into the phone before storming in with a charming, forced grin on his face.

"They said that the table will be ready in ten minutes which means, my lovely party," Tony did a very low mock bow before rising and gesturing to the door, "of incomparably gorgeous beauties of godliness needs to please GET IN THE CAR!"

The shout at the end had Loki and his three clones whining convincingly as they allowed the human to push, shove, and tug them into the sleek, black Audi convertible. Once the four were piled into the car, and whizzing off to the restaurant, Tony couldn't help but ask the question that has been bugging him all night.

"Since you blew up the entirety of Manhattan, how are you going to show your face in public with me?"

The evil grin that cracked on Loki's face was more than enough of an answer for Tony to shut up instantly and stop asking. The other three clones all wearing the same expression didn't help the nervousness that was boiling in his gut any further either. The rest of the drive was passed in comfortable silence with the breeze whipping the girl Lokis' long hair back while the Loki Loki and the other clone Loki sat back with a graceful languid lounge.

"We're here." Stark announced, gritting his teeth when he saw the oncoming swarm of paparazzi.

"Well then we will simply have to give them a show."

Tony whirled only to be met with two pairs of bright blue eyes with short blond curly hair. The same long legged being, the same super high cheekbones and pale perfect skin stood towering over him only now, not the god of mischief. The ladies on the other hand were a spitting image of Loki in female form, equally stunning and dear god; Tony is so screwed (literally) tonight.

"Mr. Stark," Loki smirked leaning forward to brush his lips lightly against the stuttering ones of the billionaire playboy before gesturing to the crowd and to the restaurant, "I believe you promised "me" a romantic date."

"Oh GOD!" Tony was dragged more of less bodily through the rings of paparazzi by all of his four companions in through the doors. Mental note, be prepared for anything and everything in the book when it comes to asking out the God of Mischief. The questions were endless, especially due to the fact that two of said companions were apparently quite famous themselves.

"Tom, Mr. Tom Hiddleston! Can you please introduce us to your twin and other lovely companions." The answers to the questions were making Tony want to get drunk and fast so he doesn't die choking on his laughter.

"I'm sorry but we are in a hurry. I have made a date with Mr. Stark here and we are already rather late."

"Tom Hiddleston?" Tony whispered to the incognito God.

"Acting was a fun department in which entertainment could be provided to me on a constant basis."

Tony raised a skeptical eyebrow. My god, this crazy being was rubbing off on him a little too much.

"Can a god not seek the company of others for other, much simpler motives? After all, that's how we met outside of our usual battle filled circumstances."

"Alright sure," Tony huffed, giving a tight smile to the closest photographer. "I just didn't expect you to be famous."

"But Anthony," one of the female clones drawled, dragging long, slim fingers down Tony's chest causing the inventor to gulp, consciously straightening his tie. "We are gods after all. How could you expect anything less than the best treatment?"

"Yeah sure." Tony yelped when the long fingered hand of the duplicate "Tom Hiddleston" grabbed his ass and gave it a fairly firm squeeze, green eyes glinting with the promise tonight that he is seriously not going to be able to walk for a week. "But could you guys please behave well enough so we can make it to dessert?"

"We can only try our best Anthony," the actual Loki laughed before swinging and arm around one of his female clones and walking with an all too noticeable saunter in his hips.

Tony needed Pepper, a leash, and a really bad case of the can't-get-it-up to stop himself being embarrassed tonight at dinner. Oh well, time to get the show on the road.

0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0

Dinner turned into a very interesting affair. Once they had been seated, they made it a point to ignore all the whispers and the hushed talking behind their backs, although Loki heard every word of it, half of them had him laughing while the other half he wanted to blow up right then and there, or turn them into rainbow colored pigs. Tony was having the time of his life trying to drink himself under the table which wasn't helping since once of the lady Lokis decided it would be fun to give said inventor a massage under the table.

"So Tom, what is it that you do for a living?" Tony ground out, squeezing the foot of the lady Loki hard causing her to give an undignified squeak before retreating and pretend pouting into the wine glass in front of her.

"I act in various movies and plays, anything really as long as there is good dialogue and decent character development." "Tom" Hiddleston smirked as he took another sip of the chardonnay. "It really is a rather exciting field when the range of jobs is so different."

"Sounds cool enough." Tony grumbled as he downed his fourth, or maybe fifth glass of scotch.

"And how about yourself Mr. Stark?" one of the Lady Loki's smirked as she placed her hand on his, moving those long, smooth digits up the inventor's arm non so discretely.

"I am Iron Man and well, genius, billionaire, playboy, philanthropist."

"Ah, but I see that reputation precedes you Mr. Stark for from what I have heard, you have not been interested in but only one body to warm your bed in the recent days."

Tony had to bite down a yelp when he felt the very male hand of the Loki clone slide down his leg resting just so of his oh so prominent family jewels.

"It seems sister," the clone drawled, smirked at the ladies before shooting a side-glance to Loki who was also smirking oh so deviously, "that the person or persons of interest tonight might just be sitting at the table."

Prying the clone's hand away, Tony straightened his tie and cleared his throat before pretty much growling, "for this to be a romantic night out I would like to at least make it to the main course let alone desert."

"Whatever could you mean by that Anthony?" Loki, letting his disguise slip slightly as he rolled his addicting green eyes to meet the chocolate ones of the engineer full on, smirking when he could sense the arousal and slipping control coming off of the man as the second female clones decided to "drink" her wine in a very refined and fascinating manner.

Tony could feel the restaurant becoming more heated and stifling by the second. The whispers were increasing and the eyes just kept staring and how he had a certain god's full attention making his annoying counterpart stand very much so in attention as well.

"I'm going to go use the bathroom." Tony muttered before practically bolting from the table.

Once he was out of earshot, the Lokis faced the main one and began a conversation of their own. The ladies of course, began first.

"You know," the first one started, promptly turning her body to face the opposite direction of the leering look another gentleman was sending her over his date's shoulder, "I think you should have played this one a bit nicer Tom."

Loki raised the signature eyebrow and didn't reply.

"It was rather valiant of him to stick his neck out for you like that and well, rather valiant just for him to simply suggest and outing with a god." The other lady finished.

"The man does believe himself to be a god of the bedroom though." The other male clone chimed in, smirking and sending a quick wink to the bartender, sending her scurrying back behind the bar, red showing on all of her pale neck.

"You three are having more fun than you let on however." Loki sipped at his drink before sending his clones a dark smirk of his own.

"Only because you brought us out here in the first place. We were not the ones who decided to punish the closet for making our glory feel self conscious." The other Tom rolled his eyes playing with the rim of his glass, ignoring the original's death glare.

"Why the difficulty in picking out an outfit if you were so confident on simply toying with the mortal?" both ladies chuckled at the same time.

Loki was now desperately trying to control his magic so he didn't just make his three clones vanish into thin air in front of every human being in the restaurant but he could feel his fingers itching and twitching. Luckily right then, Tony got back and the clones got the hint and all three of them excused themselves to the bathroom. Loki couldn't make them vanish fast enough.

"So rein-, sorry," Tony drank another scotch when Loki gave him the death glare to burn your soul, "Tom, what are your plans for New York then?"

"Anthony," Loki drawled out the name smirking once more as the man choked on his drink, "I am in town for scouting purposes purely. I think there are a few interesting roles that I hope to secure."

"Cool." Tony stabbed into his steak as soon as it appeared on the table, chewing fast and hard to make sure he had something to focus on rather than the fact that he was now in a one on one date with the one and only God of Mischief.

"So far, only one has caught my eye and well, let's simply state that the pay day and the _pleasure_ of the role has been most invigorating."

Tony choked and had to chug a glass of water while Loki chuckled softly across from him. But soon, as both parties tucked into their meals, the conversation died into a comfortable silence as soon, desert was here.

"This shortcake is short?" Loki asked causing Tony to laugh because he could picture Thor asking the same thing. And he keeps denying that they're related.

"No it's not and to be honest I don't know why it's called that but this restaurant is known for it's strawberry shortcake. Also with extra extra extra whipped cream."

"That has got to be one of the worst propositions to have me vacate the premises with the other party that I have ever heard of in my immortal life Anthony." Loki laughed.

"The offer of food?"

"I believe in your terms it would be food and the promise of sex."

"What about the promise of food sex?"

Loki raised an eyebrow at that and promptly sent a sharp kick into the genius's shin causing the other man to squeak out a yelp of CHECK PLEASE before both of them exiting the restaurant.

"So what happened to your dinner party?" Tony asked as he tipped the valet and checked his car once over to see if the man had decided to take it for a joy ride.

"They had other obligations to handle and were seen leaving the restaurant about an hour ago."

"Cool then they won't mind when we take a detour."

"A what?" was all Loki could get out before Tony drove off, whizzing at about 200 miles an hour average through the narrow streets of the city that never sleeps.

0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0

"Stark I swear even though I can live forever, I am not going to be willing to live with your navigational skills." Loki huffed as he stepped out of the vehicle using his every strength not to bow down onto the ground and kiss it.

"Oh come on," Tony snorted as he slammed his own door shut. "After your vomit inducing ride of teleporting magic I'd think my driving was simple."

Loki just shuddered before looking up to see just where it was that they had gone. It was Central Park except now covered in a blanket of snow with no leaves and also, no one around.

"Come on reindeer games, let's go for a walk." Tony laughed and stuck his hands in his pockets, holding his elbow out of the softly chuckling Norse god.

"My, aren't we ever the gentleman. Perhaps my female form would be more suitable to accept you invitation." Loki snickered as he looped his arm around Tony's as they began their trudge through the park. Both walked in amicable silence occasionally bringing us a constellation or two.

"Those stars look really nice. I wish there was a little less light but this is as close as it gets to dark in New York." Tony laughed, shivering slightly as a faint wind blew past.

"If you wished for a truly grand view of these stars, Asgard…," Loki's expression darkened for a second before trailing off. Tony didn't bother pushing. Suddenly, a smirk lit up on his face as he whirled to stand in front of the god, nearly knocking Loki off his feet when he realized the mortal's face was near millimeters away from his.

"Can I help you?"

Suddenly, there was a wad of white fluffy material in his face and cold running down his neck.

"TAG YOU'RE IT!" Tony snorted before gathering another wad of snow and pegging Loki right in the chest.

"Do you have any sense of self preservation?" Loki asked very evenly as he felt his magic tingling in his fingertips.

"I philandered with my enemy. I fly around in a suit of armor. I asked said enemy on a date full well knowing he is the god of mischief and low and behold, NOPE!" With that, the great Tony Stark ran for all he was worth.

Loki blinked before his own wicked smile spread across his face. That was how Tony Stark spent the next twenty minutes trying to find a tree to climb into as he was pelted with magically accurate snowball after snowball. The two laughed and chased throughout the entire park until finally, they made it back to a bench close to where their car had been parked. Loki was working on magically drying the two of them while Tony pouted like a petulant child, bruises already starting to form when a particularly strong snowball had hit. There was no one around and the two leaned into each other enjoying the other's company.

Tony stood and walked over to the lamppost while Loki watched him in a quizzical look. The inventor bit his lip making Loki's eyebrows slash across his face in a look of worry.

"What troubles you Anthony?"

Tony sighed and rubbed the back of his neck with a look of resignation. Hesitating for another few seconds, he spat it out in a rush, "theavengersfoundoutaboutus."

Loki blinked, eyebrows further gathering to the center of his forehead. "Pardon?"

"The Avengers, the found out about us." Tony winced at the look that crossed over the younger god's face.

Several tense second later, Loki choked out a, "how."

"Thor," Tony shrugged. "He said he could feel you magic on me."

"Oh." Loki stood up and looked to the sky. It was close to eleven after all and the temperature was decreasing rapidly. At that thought was what made Loki jerk and whirl around, eyes narrowing into a near venomous glare that was aimed at the also equally, stubborn looking brown.

"Stark, what in your right mind are you thinking of bringing me out here?" Loki roared, racing to tackle to the mortal, only to slip on a small patch of iced over side walk and have to catch himself giving the human time to dodge.

"Call it human curiosity." Tony backed further towards his car when he heard Loki let out a howl of rage.

"You tell me first that my brother knows of us and now…and now…YOU HAVE NO IDEA OF WHAT YOU ASK!" Loki lunged again only to collide with the car, sending it flipping to the side as Stark dove to the side.

"Well now it's a little late for me to even take us home since you just DESTROYED MY CAR!" Tony stood and shouted. "and besides, the cold was for the fact that you made me really, really, REALLY HOT in the restaurant!"

"So this was revenge?" Loki hissed desperately as he felt his glamour slipping as fresh snow began to fall.

"No, I just—," Tony started only to be cut off as he had to dodge a raging fist to his face, only to he caught by his coat lapels, losing balance, sending both of them tumbling into the snow. When they emerged, it was red eyes that greeted him and the same eerily blue Loki to rapidly detangle him from the mortal. Tony jumped to his face as he watched Loki stumble back, losing all signs of gracefulness and royalty as his shoulder slumped and his whole body, stood in the center of the softly snowing Central Park trembling.

"Loki," Tony breathed as he reached out a hand to touch the god's face only to have that god flinch backwards, body coiling to the likeness of a venomous snake, ready to strike.

"You can tell the rest of them, and my_ brother,_" Loki spat the word out, "That they should not have to worry about me corrupting you or destroying their precious city."

"Loki stop," Tony grabbed the other's blue arm only to draw back with a shout of pain, looking down at his raw and bleeding hand.

"Frostbite." Loki mumbled as he straightened to his full height.

"Loki I-," but the god cut the mortal off.

"Why Stark," Tony winced when the god addressed him once more with his last name, "why did you choose to entertain me for this night?"

Tony's mind was whirling. He enjoyed Loki's company. He enjoyed the fact that he was able to match wits with someone not to mention explain the workings of his technology to someone who would then exchange facts about magic and how his science was somewhat like that. He enjoyed the pranks Loki pulled and how the man was just as deadly as he was sensual. He sure as hell got a kick out of Steve Rogers gawping at female Loki like the righteous virgin that he was. He wasn't even going to get started on just how mind-blowing the sex had been. And now, here the god stood before him, at his most vulnerable and blue, looking like the thing he wanted most in the world was for the world to swallow him whole. He was just as broken as Tony was. That was when Tony blinked and without a second thought, closed the distance between him and the god and pressed his lips to the solidly still Loki Laufey/Odinson.

"I suck at you know," Tony gesturing his words coming out a little slurred now that the frostbite had settled onto his lips. Red eyes stared back at him before he suddenly found himself inside his newly fixed car, unfrozen lips and hand, and without a single trace of the Norse god in sight.

"DAMN IT!" Tony howled. "I just had to be freaking curious. I JUST HAD TO KNOW! UUUUUUUUUUURRRRRGH!"

The sound of the car horn could be heard for miles for the next three minutes.

0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0

Loki buried himself in the sheets after coming out of a warm shower.

"Why didn't you just tell him?" Loki's eyes shot up to one of his clones, still in the form of Tom Hiddleston, now wearing slacks and baggy black pajama pants.

"I have no patience for the likes of you right now." Green eyes rolled as he bared his teeth and snarled.

"You have no time for yourself. That seems highly unlikely." The female clone came from around the corner in the same garb through slightly more clinging and revealing.

"What do you two want?" Loki groaned against his pillow.

"Three," the second female stepped out to join her other female counterpart. "Since you felt to be overly complicated."

"They found out about you two and yet he still went out of his way to take you out on a date." The first female stated, flicking at imaginary dirt under her fingernails.

"He didn't tell them where you were otherwise Thor would have been kicking through your door by now." Tom chuckled.

"And he actually did touch you again even when you gave him frostbite the first time." The last female stated.

"And you do enjoy his wit, his lack of self preservation, his own brokenness, and the fact that he is the only one who treats you as you." The three chorused.

"I despise your creation." Loki mumbled even though he knew that with a single flicker of his concentration, they would all disappear and he would once again be alone.

"We do believe that you might as well be…" the three clones smirked.

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"I'm in love with the bastard." Tony muttered as he floored his way back to the one and only god of mischief's apartment.

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"I'm in love with a mortal." Loki laughed. He kept laughing as his clones vanished and he summoned his full body armor before vanishing everything in his apartment. Finally, he took one last glance to Stark's tower before being jarred from his thoughts as his door slammed open.

"LOKI I-," Tony shouted running for the god. Said deity gave him a small sad smile, mouthing a few words that froze Tony where he stood and vanished into a silent puff of green smoke, leaving Tony to stumble forward grasping at the empty air, before sinking to his knees in the empty apartment.

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"Back for more are we runt?" Laufey rose to his full height as he came to face the freshly teleported Loki.  
"I killed you." Loki whispered as he stood. The frost giants that had gathered began whispering harshly to one another.

"What was that son?"

Scepter in hand, Loki smashed it into the Frost Giant king's face with full force, sending the figure sprawling into the ice and snow.

"Stand up and fight you conjurer of cheap tricks." Loki snarled.

The gathered frost giants let out chokes gasps and shouts of outrage as their "king" stood up.

"Did you enjoy seeing me bleed and cry in silent torment or was that all just another part of your conniving game?"

"I was surprised when you didn't catch on any earlier," a laughing female drawl sneered as a bright head of blond hair rose from the snow.

"To say that I didn't or rather was not in the mood to expose it are two totally different concepts." Loki chuckled darkly.

"And what if to say that you have forsaken your heart to a mere mortal." Her bright blue eyes piercing daggers into his.

Loki blanched, readying himself into a battle stance, bright teeth baring in the moonlight, bracing his glamour after the little incident in the park.

"As knowledgeable as usual…Amora."

"The one and only," Amora sneered. "Now tell me, how has our dear Thor been doing? Maybe once I'm done wrapping him around me, I can pay your dear mortal a visit and unchain you of this heavy burden."

"You would not dare."

"Oh but I would," Amora laughed. "After all, his reputation as a playboy does proceed him and besides, when has any mortal been able to resist my allure?"

Blasts of magic lit the lands of Jotenheim while on Asgard, Heimdall watched in patient silence.

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**Sorry for the super late update. College life has been insane and honestly, this chapter was a bit hard to write. I had so many different ideas bouncing off of my brain not to mention I needed to find the right song lyrics to inspire this chapter. And not to get too personal but I went through a tough break up so well, go figure. Being a girl sucks sometimes. But after dodging my dad's many attempts to take my laptop away and make me study for the MCAT instead, I have finally been able to produce a chapter for this story that was somewhat satisfactory. I'll be writing a darker fic soon though I can't decide who I want to torture more, Loki or Tony.**

**So I'll leave it for you reviewers to decide. Who do you want to see utter crumbled and broken and who should help then recover?**

**Tony broken with Loki doing damage control**

**Loki broken with Tony doing damage control**

**Happy Holidays guys and thank you for reading and reviewing. I smile so hard every time I read your reviews. See you guys next year,**

**Inumaru Higurashi**


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